Other Common Names:

Native Trout, Utah Trout, Blueheads

State Record:

26 pounds 12 ounces

Identifying Features:

Bonneville cutthroat trout have a yellowish body with uniform spotting. Larger spots are found on the back half of the fish. They also have orange fins and red-orange "slash" marks on their throat.

Typical Adult:

Length: Up to 18 inches in streams and 30 inches in lakes
Weight: Up to 4 pounds in streams and 18 pounds in lakes
Life span: Up to 20 or more years

Habitat:

Bonneville cutthroat trout inhabit mountain streams and lakes in the Bonneville Basin of Utah, Wyoming, Nevada, and Idaho.

Feeding Behavior:

Bonneville cutthroat trout eat plankton (passively floating, minute animal and plant life), insects, and fish.

Reproductive Behavior (Spawning):

When: Spring or summer, depending on elevation
How: The female digs nest-like depressions called "redds" in gravelly riffles in streams. Adults do not guard the nest.

Did You Know:

Legend has it that the early pioneers were saved from starvation many times by catching this native trout.

The Bonneville cutthroat is only one of two trout species native to Utah.

The Bonneville cutthroat is listed as a "sensitive species" by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service