Species › North America · Freshwater › Cutthroat Trout

Freshwater

Cutthroat Trout

Oncorhynchus clarkii · Cutt, Yellowstone cutthroat, Westslope cutthroat

Water temp
48–59°F
Peak season
Jun–Sep
Best light
Dawn · Dusk
IGFA record
41 lb (18.59 kg)
Cutthroat Trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii virginalis.jpg)

Photo: Hazzard, Lloyde / U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons

OverviewWhere & WhenHow to CatchGearRegulationsRecordsForecastCatches

Overview

Cutthroat trout are identified by the orange or red slash marks on the underside of the lower jaw, small teeth at the base of the tongue and spotting that varies by subspecies: large, sparse spots concentrated toward the tail on Yellowstone cutts, fine dense spots on westslopes and coastal fish, and round spots over a bronze body on Lahontans. Their native range covers the Rocky Mountains, the Great Basin and the Pacific coast from Alaska to northern California, split among roughly a dozen subspecies, several of them threatened by hybridization with rainbows and habitat loss.

Cutts are opportunistic insect feeders in streams and shift to fish in big lakes, where Lahontan cutthroat historically reached 40 lb. They are less selective than browns and rainbows and will rise to a well-drifted dry fly even when nothing is hatching, which makes them the perfect trout for high-country anglers. Coastal sea-run cutthroat move between estuaries and small streams and take streamers in brackish water. Fishing for native cutthroat in waters like Yellowstone, the Snake and Pyramid Lake is a core western experience.

Typical size10–16 in; 0.5–2 lb (0.2–1 kg)
Trophy5 lb+ in rivers; 10 lb+ Lahontans at Pyramid Lake
Table fareGood — pink, mild flesh, though native populations are mostly catch and release

Where & when

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Rocky Mountain rivers fish best from post-runoff in late June through September; Pyramid Lake is open October–June with peaks in spring, and sea-run cutthroat bite in Pacific estuaries from late summer through winter.

Yellowstone River (Yellowstone National Park), WYWild Yellowstone cutthroat in Hayden Valley; opens in JulyPyramid Lake, NVLahontan cutthroat to 20 lb+ from ladders in the surfSouth Fork Snake River, IDOne of the last big-river strongholds of native cuttsBlackfoot River, MTWestslope cutthroat fishery of 'A River Runs Through It'

How to catch

Dry-fly fishingFish attractor dries and terrestrials, from a size 12 Stimulator or Chubby Chernobyl to hoppers in August, along banks, seams and riffle edges. Cutts rise slowly and deliberately; wait a half-second before lifting the rod or you will pull the fly away.
Dry-dropper rigHang a bead-head nymph or small streamer 18–30 inches beneath a buoyant dry to cover rising and subsurface fish in one drift. This is the standard rig on the Snake and Yellowstone for moving fish in deeper runs.
Ladder fishing at Pyramid LakeWade out, stand on a stepladder and cast a sinking line with a pair of beetle or balanced-leech flies or a popcorn beetle under an indicator toward the drop-off. Strip slowly or let the indicator drift; big Lahontans cruise the ledges in spring.
Spinning for sea-run cutthroatIn Pacific estuaries, cast small spoons and spinners or soft-plastic minnows along current seams, oyster beds and creek mouths on a rising tide. Light line and a quick retrieve draw aggressive strikes from 12–18 inch fish.

Gear

Rod9' 5 wt fly rod (7–8 wt at Pyramid Lake); 6'6" light spinning
Reel4–6 wt fly reel; 2000 spinning
LineWF5F with 9 ft 4X–5X leader; 6 lb mono

Lures

Attractor dry fliesHopper and terrestrial patternsBead-head nymphsStreamers and leech patternsSmall spoons and spinners

Baits

NightcrawlersSalmon eggsGrasshoppers

Regulations

A state fishing license is required; Yellowstone National Park and many tribal waters such as Pyramid Lake sell their own permits. Native cutthroat are often protected by catch-and-release, barbless or artificial-only rules and seasonal closures to guard spawning fish.

Records

IGFA all-tackle world record: 41 lb (18.59 kg) — Pyramid Lake, Nevada, 1925 (John Skimmerhorn). State and regional records are kept by each fish & wildlife agency.

Frequently asked

How do you tell a cutthroat trout from a rainbow trout?

Look under the jaw: cutthroat have distinct red-orange slashes, rainbows have none or a very faint one. Cutthroat also have tiny teeth on the back of the tongue and usually larger, sparser spots concentrated near the tail, while rainbows show a pink lateral stripe and dense spotting across the head and body. Hybrid 'cutbows' show mixed traits.

Where can you catch a 20 lb cutthroat trout?

Pyramid Lake in Nevada is the only realistic option. The Pilot Peak strain of Lahontan cutthroat was restored there and now produces fish from 10 to more than 20 lb every season from October through June, with the best action in March and April. A tribal permit from the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe is required.

Bite forecast — Cutthroat Trout

Recent catches

Posted by anglers on the live map, filtered to Cutthroat Trout.

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