The Cutthroat trout is a native species of the western states. They were named
after Lewis and Clark, Oncorhynchus clarki lewisi, who saw many of these fish in the waters.
The fish is characterized by a cut, a red to yellow stripe on its lower jaw.
It has a short conical head and a rather large mouth with the jaw extending
back past the eyes. The Cutthroat has small black spots on it's head and body
extending well below the lateral line, and on all fins. The body is yellow-green
with red on sides of the head.
There are more than 10 subspecies of Cutthroat trout including: The Yellowstone,
Westslope, Lahontan, and Bonneville cousins. There is also a coastal version.
They are the most widely distributed of all western trout species, and they live
in a variety of coldwater habitats, small headwater tributaries, mountain streams,
ponds, large lakes, and rivers. Their preferred temp range is 52 to 60.
Cuts generally feed on insects and zooplankton and only grow to 6 to 12 inches.
Some change over and prey on other fish and can grow to 24 to 28 inches and
weigh 8 pounds. These big Cutthroats generally live
in lakes with a Kokanee population that they can prey on. The average length is 12 to 15 inches
and one-half to 17 pounds. They mature at 5 to 7 years and can live to be
over 12 years old.
They spawn in late winter to early spring in headwater streams.
Many species have declined in numbers due to habitat loss, competition with non-native
species, hybridization with other species, and overfishing. Cutts are susceptible to
angling as they take a wide variety of bait.
The same angling techniques used for Rainbow trout work
for Cutthroat as well. If you know of some good Cutthroat waters
in Idaho, let us know.
