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Montana Field Guide

Montana Field Guides

Rainbow Trout - Oncorhynchus mykiss

Native/Non-native Species
(depends on location or taxa)


Global Rank: G5
State Rank: S1
(see State Rank Reason below)


Agency Status
USFWS:
USFS:
BLM:


 

External Links





State Rank Reason (see State Rank above)
The only native population of Rainbow Trout, the Columbia Redband Trout, is limmited in distribution and facing threats from hybridization with nonnative salmonids as well as warming water temperatures
 
General Description
The rainbow trout is Montana's number one game fish. Rainbow trout were introduced from numerous hatchery stocks into virtually every suitable habitat in the state, beginning in 1889. Scientists believe that only the rainbow trout of the upper Kootenai River drainage are native to this state. This small group of natives are a Fish of Special Concern. Rainbow trout introductions have caused a severe reduction in the range of the native cutthroat trout through hybridization and competition. Rainbow trout fare well under a wide range of habitat conditions from ponds to reservoirs, lakes, and streams. Various strains of rainbow trout, like breeds of cattle, are used for different purposes. The state has stocked hundreds of millions of rainbow in state waters in the last 100 years. However, today the policies have evolved and rainbow trout are stocked primarily in lakes and reservoirs but no longer in streams. The state record for rainbow trout is over 33 pounds, and fish of up to 10 pounds are common in some of our most productive waters. Rainbow are efficient at feeding on plankton, aquatic and terrestrial insects, and occasionally some smaller fishes. They spawn in early spring in running water, usually April or May, and maintain themselves quite nicely if the habitat is not degraded.

Diagnostic Characteristics
Montana: both pure and moderately hybridized populations of westslope cutthroat trout have a high incidence of basibranchial teeth, whereas pure rainbow trout lack these teeth; presence of basibranchial teeth in some individuals of a rainbow trout population indicates hybridization with westslope cutthroat trout (Leary et al. 1996). Individuals living in large or turbid lakes or under ice tend to be iridescent silver.

Species Range
Montana Range Range Descriptions

All Ranges
Native
Non-native
(Click legend blocks to view individual ranges)
 


Observations in Montana Natural Heritage Program Database
Number of Observations: 18250

(Click on the following maps and charts to see full sized version) Map Help and Descriptions
Relative Density

Recency

 

(Observations spanning multiple months or years are excluded from time charts)



Migration
Migrates into tributary streams from lakes to spawn and river populations may also move upstream and/or into tributary streams.

Habitat
Cool clean streams, lakes, res., farm ponds. Able to withstand wider range of temperatures than most trout. Spawns in streams over gravel beds (Brown 1971, Holton 1981).

Food Habits
Feed mainly on aquatic insects but eat what is available to them. Large adults also eat fish (Brown 1971). River populations mostly insect eaters while zooplankton and forage fish are important in Lake Koocanusa (Huston et al. 1984).

Ecology
Populations of native and introduced rainbow trout as well as their hybrids coexist in Kootenai River drainage.

Reproductive Characteristics
Sexually mature 2-3 years but sometimes 1 year. Spawns April-July depending on water temperatures. Eggs hatch in 50 days at 50 degrees F. (Brown 1971). Young smolt at 0-2 years in tributaries and lake Koocanusa (Huston et al. 1984, May and Huston 1979).

Stewardship Responsibility

References
  • Literature Cited AboveLegend:   View Online Publication
    • Brown, C.J.D. 1971. Fishes of Montana. Bozeman, MT: Big Sky Books/Montana State University. 207 p.
    • Holton, G.D. 1981. Identification of Montana's most common game and sport fishes. Montana Outdoors May/June reprint. 8 p.
    • Huston J.E., P. Hamlin; B. May 1937-; Montana. Dept. of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks.; United States. Army. Corps of Engineers. Seattle District. 1984
    • Leary, R.F., W.R. Gould, and G.K. Sage. 1996. Success of basibranchial teeth in indicating pure populations of rainbow trout and failure to indicate pure populations of westslope cutthroat trout. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 16:210-213.
    • Lee, D.S., C.R. Gilbert, C.H. Hocutt, R.E. Jenkins, D. E. McAllister, J. R. Stauffer, Jr. 1980. Atlas of North American freshwater fishes. North Carolina State Musuem of Natural History. 867 p.
    • May, B.E. and J.E. Huston. 1979. Status of fish populations in the Kootenai River below Libby dam. Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks. 57 pp.
    • Scott, W.B. and E.J. Crossman. 1973. Rainbow trout, Kamloops trout, Steelhead trout Salmo gairdneri Richardson. pp. 184-191. In: Freshwater fishes of Canada. Ottawa, Canada: Fisheries Research Board of Canada, Bulletin 184. 966 p.
  • Additional ReferencesLegend:   View Online Publication
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    • Allendorf, F.W., D.M. Espeland, D.T. Scow, and S. Phelps. 1980. Coexistence of native and introduced rainbow trout in the Kootenai River drainage. Proc. Mont. Acad. Sci. 39:28-36.
    • Alvord, W. 1953. A study of scales from known-age trout. M.Sc. Thesis. Bozeman, MT: Montana State University. 31 p.
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    • Bianchi, D.R. 1963. The effect of sedimentation on egg survival of rainbow trout and cutthroat trout. M.Sc. Thesis. Bozeman, MT: Montana State University. 28 p.
    • Bishop, C.G. 1953. Age, growth, and condition of trout in Prickley Pear Creek, Montana. M.Sc. Thesis. Bozeman, MT: Montana State University. 22 p.
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    • DosSantos, J.M. 1985. Comparative food habits and habitat selection of mountain whitefish and rainbow trout in the Kootenai River, Montana. M.Sc. Thesis. Bozeman, MT: Montana State University. 68 p.
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    • Gerald, J.W. 1965. Food habits of the Longnose Dace, Rhinichthys cataractae. M.Sc. Thesis. Bozeman, Montana: Montana State University. 27 p.
    • Gilham, A.T. 2016. Relationship between intensity of livestock grazing and trout biomass in headwaters of east front rocky mountain streams, Montana. M.Sc. Thesis. Bozeman, MT: Montana State University. 45 p.
    • Gillespie, D.M. 1966. Population studies of four species of mollusks in the Madison River, Yellowstone National Park. Ph.D. Dissertation. Bozeman, Montana: Montana State University. 43 p.
    • Gustafson, D. L. 1990. Ecology of aquatic insects in the Gallatin River drainage. Ph.D. Dissertation. Bozeman, MT: Montana State University. 194 p.
    • Ham, B.R. 2014. The evaluation of pellet type-preference and dietary soy sensitivity in Snake River cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkia). M. Sc. Thesis. Bozeman, MT: Montana State University. 77 p.
    • Hanna, T.D. 1992. The effect of oxygen supplementation on the toxicity of ammonia (nh3) in rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss (Richardson). M.Sc. Thesis. Bozeman, MT: Montana State University. 51 p.
    • Heim, K.C. 2019. Mechanisms of Rainbow Trout hybridization with native Cutthroat Trout in the Lamar River of Yellowstone National Park. Ph.D. Dissertation. Bozeman, MT: Montana State University. 196 p.
    • Hensler, M.E. 1987. A field evaluation of four strains of Salmo introduced into seven Montana waters. M.Sc. Thesis. Bozeman, MT: Montana State University. 61 p.
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    • Solcz. A.A. 2007. Assessment of culvert passage of Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout in a Yellowstone River spawning tributary using a passive integrated transponder system. M.Sc. Thesis. Bozeman, Montana: Montana State University. 63 p.
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Rainbow Trout — Oncorhynchus mykiss.  Montana Field Guide.  .  Retrieved on , from