Cutthroat Trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii)

The Cutthroat Trout or Oncorhynchus clarkii is just one of the many species of Trout from the salmon family. This fish is listed as a threatened species due to lose of habitat and introduction of non-native species to its environment in western North America. Despite this the Cutthroat Trout is the state fish of Idaho and Wyoming and is sought after by many anglers especially fly fishermen and women.

Some kinds of Cutthroat Trout are anadromous which means they spend part of their lives in freshwater and part in saltwater. Most of this species though does spend its time in the freshwater with the exception of those on the coastline. There are many different sub species of Cutthroat Trout including Alvord cutthroat trout, Bonneville cutthroat trout, Humboldt cutthroat trout, Lahontan cutthroat trout, Whitehorse Basin cutthroat trout, Paiute cutthroat trout, Snake River fine-spotted cutthroat trout, Westslope cutthroat trout, Yellowfin cutthroat trout, Yellowstone cutthroat trout, Colorado River cutthroat trout, Greenback cutthroat trout and Rio Grande cutthroat trout.

Cutthroat Trout can grow to about 20lbs (9 kg) maximum and can grow as long at 40" (102cm). There are a few sub species of Cutthroat Trout so this fish can range greatly in size, coloration and habitat. Some are golden while others are more gray in color. All of them have red, pink or orange marks on the underside of their jaws, this is a sure way to tell if you have caught a Cutthroat Trout.