Cutthroat Trout
(Oncorhynchus clarki)

You may be wondering how the Cutthroat Trout has been given this name. It has to do with a bright red slash under its jaw line and this makes it a unique looking trout indeed. For as unique as it is, the cutthroat trout is easily crossbred with other trout, and some species have been bred to extinction.

APPEARANCE

Aside from the red slash under its jaw that you read about above, this trout has some other neat markings. Looking at it from the side and starting from the tail you would notice the spots and how they disappear as you scan forward to the head. The spots usually are on the upper part of the body at the front of the trout. The spots themselves are not irregular shaped and dark. The back is olive green, turning to a pale silver on the sides. Depending diet and conditions, the Cutt can become a very colorful fish.

PREY

The younger and adult trout eat aquatic insects and plankton that are near the bottom of a lake or river. The feeding window is narrow and competitive, they will feed aggressively and with a single minded appetite. PREDATORS

In high mountain lakes and rivers the feeding window is narrow for everyone, so these trout end up being a meal for these following predators; bears. Birds like, loons, eagles, osprey and wolves.

HABITAT

Well, plain and simple the cutthroat needs cold water. Whether it is a high mountain lake, river or stream it has to be cold water. In places like this the water tends to be nutrient poor, leading back to the way it feeds. SPAWN

Like most of the other trout you have read about so far, spawning takes place in headwaters, where possible, again needing the oxygen. The males will reach sexual maturity in 3-4 years and the females in 3-5 years.

The spawn takes place in spring. The female digs a redd, afterwards the male and the female do their thing. The eggs can hatch in a few weeks to a couple months time. The fry may stay near the headwaters for 1-2 years, before filtering back down to bigger pools or lakes.

If you would like to learn more about the different trout, take a look below.

Arctic Grayling | Brook Trout | Brown Trout | Bull Trout |
Dolly Varden Trout | Golden Trout | Lake Trout | Rainbow Trout |

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