Below are pictures and brief descriptions of the 5 species of trout native to Nevada. Despite popular misconception, rainbow trout and brown trout are not native to Nevada. Knowing what to look for and where you are fishing can provide a lot of insight into that fish that’s on the end of your line.
Lahontan cutthroat trout
Lahontan cutthroat trout (LCT) are found throughout northern Nevada, south-eastern Oregon, and eastern California in streams, rivers, and lakes. LCT are well adapted to the small streams in Nevada and Oregon where conditions make it hard for other trout to survive. Remnant populations of lacustrine (lake form) LCT only exist in Independence Lake, California and Summit Lake, Nevada. All other lake populations were driven to local extinction by water diversions, habitat loss, over-fishing, and the introduction of nonnative fishes. The only place you can fish for naturally reproducing lacustrine LCT is Independence Lake north of Truckee, California. Hatchery maintained populations of LCT exist in Pyramid Lake, Marlette Lake, Catnip reservoir (Nevada) and Fallen Leaf Lake, Heenan Lake, and a few other small lakes in the Sierra’s (California), as well as Mann Lake (Oregon) and a few lakes in Washington. LCT also inhabit many small streams in northern and north-eastern Nevada where they reproduce naturally.
Bonneville cutthroat trout
Bonneville cutthroat can be found in eastern Nevada in rivers and streams that flow east into the Bonneville Basin.Bonneville cutthroat are present in the Snake Range in eastern Nevada where they inhabit small streams that flow eastward into the Bonneville drainage. Fishing for Bonneville’s is a rewarding experience if you can find a spot in the stream where the willows give way and casts can be made.
Yellowstone cutthroat trout
Yellowstone cutthroat exist only in the far north-eastern corner of Nevada in a tributary to the Snake River system. Goose Creek represents the only place in Nevada where an angler can pursue Yellowstone cutthroat in Nevada. These fish can reach sizes upwards of 16-inches in this small stream.
Bull trout
Bull trout can be found in the Jarbidge River near the Idaho border. Bull trout in large rivers can often weigh more than 10-pounds, but bull trout in Nevada rarely, if ever, attain such size.
Columbia River redband trout
Redband trout are often confused with rainbow trout due their close relation and similar appearance. Redbands can be found throughout many of the small streams on the Idaho-Nevada border, including the Owyhee River and Salmon Falls Creek.
Nonnative fishes in Nevada include: Rainbow trout, brown trout, lake trout, brook trout, kokanee, carp, catfish, striped bass, white bass, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, crappie, tilapia, goldfish, mosquitofish, sunfish, shad, bluegill, and others.