Wyoming Trout Species

There are many species of trout that swim the waters of Wyoming. It's always a good idea to be familiar with the species that are in the area that you plan to do your fly fishing. There are also several sub species but for now we'll talk about the basic species found in the waters of Wyoming.

Trout species: the beautiful Rainbow

The rainbow is the trout species you are most likely to encounter in your trout fishing
outings. They can be exciting to catch, often leaping and fighting hard.

Of all the stocked fish, the rainbow is the most common. The pink band that colors both
sides of its body easily identifies this trout.

Like many trout the rainbow prefers cool, clear waters. When sharing waters with
Brookies, Rainbow trout often become the dominant species.

In spring and fall, around spawning time, Rainbows can be veracious feeders and will
take any tasty looking fly. During the other seasons, they are pickier.

Trout species: Cutthroat

One of the most exciting of the trout species to catch is the cutthroat so named for the red
marking under the jaw. Cutthroats, or Cutts, can live to 12 years and grow to around 28
inches.

Not all cutthroat have the distinctive red throat slash. The Bonneville cutthroat, for
example, is much less colorful than some of its cousins.

An aggressive eater, the cutthroat likes to ambush its food. It will hide under any cover
and attack as a tasty morsel floats into its food zone. If you present to the right spot, the
cutthroat will take almost any offering that you provide.

There are several sub-species of cutthroat, often named for the areas in which they are
found. The Snake River Cutt is the favorite target of many a Jackson Hole fly fisherman.

Trout species: the wary Brown trout

Hardy and resilient, this trout species is arguably the most difficult to catch of all the
trout. They are identifiable by their square tails and the dark brown and red spots on their
yellow-brown bodies.

Browns tolerate much warmer waters than most trout. Stocking practices will put these
fish in waters not normally thought of as trout habitat. They grow rapidly and typically
reach weights up to 10 pounds.

Brown trout feed mostly at night so the angler needs to be on the waters at dusk or during
the evening hours to have chance of hooking one. They can be selective feeders and are
extremely wary.

Trout species: the high country Brookies

The trout species found mostly in high country streams is the Brook trout, often referred
to as Brookies. They spawn annually and are a fine indicator of the healthiness of a
stream.

These small trout will feed on almost anything you throw at them. They tend to school so
if you hook one, keep on fishing the same area.

Identify a Brookie by its high coloring and the white edge on its bottom fins. Competition
from other trout species has negatively impacted the Brook trout habitat.

These are the most common trout species that attract the angler. Check regulations
carefully when trout fishing as there are often restrictions not only on a particular species,
but also any cross breed of that species.