Trout Index

Throughout 28 exclusive native trout, three are extinct and six are listed as endangered or threatened. Thirteen of twenty five of the remaining trout (52%) occupy less than 25 percent of their historical habitat and are at risk to at least one major threat.

Source

Pacific Coast

Coastal Cutthroat Trout

Listing status	Warning	Sensitive species (USFS) Species of Concern (WA) Species of Special Concern (CA)
Current range	Ok	Data quality varies but most of historical range is believed to be currently occupied
Historical range	Ok	Broadly distributed in coastal streams from Canadian border to Eel River in CA
Climate change	Warning	Increasing drought and wildfires coupled with reduced snowpack negatively impact habitat
Energy development	Ok	Impacts from energy development relatively minor
Non-native species	Ok	Impacts from non-native species are minor
Water demand	Warning	Impacts from diversions are uncertain but may be more substantial in southern part of this region
Data issues	Warninng	Populations are infrequently monitored

Coastal Rainbow Trout

Listing status	Ok	No special status for primary freshwater forms. Some steelhead ESUs are listed in the Pacific Coast
Current range	Ok	The degree of introgression from hatchery stocked rainbows is uncertain in many areas but most of historical range is believed to be currently occupied
Historical range	Ok	Broadly distributed in coastal streams from Canadian border to Baja California
Climate change	Warning	Increasing drought and wildfires coupled with reduced snowpack negatively impact habitat
Energy development	Ok	Impacts from energy development relatively minor
Non-native species	Danger	Potential widespread impacts, including hybridization, from hatchery-produced rainbows
Water demand	Warning	Impacts from diversions are substantial in the southern part of this region
Data issues	Warning	Better information is needed on degree of hatchery stocking influence on native genomesd

Bull Trout

Listing status	Danger	Listed as Threatened under ESA (Endangered Species Act)
Current range	Ok	Rangewide, approximately 60 percent of historical range is currently occupied but less in the Klamath Basin.
Historical range	Ok	Ranged broadly throughout Klamath, Upper Snake, Columbia, Coastal and McCloud River systems
Climate change	Danger	Very sensitive to rising water temperatures; wildfires a concern with reduced snowpack and forest drying
Energy development	Ok	Minimal impacts other than legacy hydroelectric developments
Non-native species	Danger	Lake trout, brook trout, brown trout and northern pike are particularly problematic
Water demand	Ok	Dams fragment habitat
Data issues	Warning	Status of many smaller populations is uncertain

Dolly Varden

Listing status	Ok	Not listed by WDFW or USFWS
Current range	Warning	Data are uncertain, but current populations appear to be restricted to smaller headwater streams
Historical range	Ok	Southern extent of range is northwest WA
Climate change	Danger	Very sensitive to temperature increases and changes in winter precipitation from snow to rain
Energy development	Ok	No known energy development concerns other than legacy hydroelectric power
Non-native species	Warning	Not believed to be a serious issue although potential competition with hatchery-produced salmo- nids
Water demand	Ok	Water divesions are minor issue
Data issues	Danger	Distribution uncertain; population data lacking for many stocks; distinction from bull trout not always certain

Columbia River Redband Trout

Listing status	Warning	Sensitive species (USFS, BLM) Species of Special Concern (ID, MT, NV, OR)
Current range	Ok	Rangwide, 44 percent of stream habitat is currently occupied
Historical range	Ok	Historically occuped about 32,300 miles of stream habitat
Climate change	Danger	Snowpack is reduced; stream temperatures rising, wildfires increasing
Energy development	Ok	No known energy development projects
Non-native species	Danger	Major threat from hatchery-produced rainbow trout
Water demand	Warning	Drought-prone landscape and agricultural demands
Data issues	Danger	Have only tested genetics on 18 percent of occupied habitat and still a fairly high level of uncer- tainty on current distribution and abundance

Klamath Redband Trout

Listing status	Warning	Listed as sensitive in OR
Current range	Ok	Although populations are reduced in some areas, most of the historical range is currently occupied within the Klamath Basin
Historical range	Ok	Broad historical range in the Klamath Basin
Climate change	Danger	Drought, stream warming and wildfires are major issues; the basin is currently in a prolonged
Energy development	Ok	No known energy conflicts other than legacy hydroelectric development
Non-native species	Danger	Introduced rainbow trout pose hybridization risk; yellow perch and other non-native fishes have become established in lakes and reservoirs
Water demand	Danger	Many streams have diversions; water demand is very high in the basin
Data issues	Warning	Interagency workgroup maintains good population data; flow data needs improving

Central Valley and Sierra Nevada

Sacramento Redband Trout

Listing status	Warning	Sensitive species (USFS, BLM) Species of Special Concern (CA, OR)
Current range	Warning	22 percent of historical habitat currently occupied
Historical range	Warning	3,500 stream miles historically occupied + Goose, Abert Lakes
Climate change	Danger	Drought, loss of snowpack, and wildfires are major issues
Energy development	Warning	Range overlaps where renewable energy from the Northwest and gas from Wyoming access California’s energy grid – pipelines and transmission of moderate concern
Non-native species	Warning	Introduced rainbow trout pose limited competition and hybridization risk; brown trout pose competition and predation risk; brook trout pose a competition risk; largemouth bass present in lower Chewaucan River
Water demand	Warning	Many streams have diversions in lower reaches
Data issues	Warning	Stream flow and temperature data need improving

Eagle Lake Rainbow Trout

Listing status	Warning	Sensitive species (USFS), Species of Special Concern (CA), under evaluation as Threatened under Endangered Species Act
Current range	Ok	38 percent of historical habitat currently occupied
Historical range	Danger	Only 34 stream miles historically occupied + Eagle Lake
Climate change	Danger	Drought, loss of snowpack, and wildfires are major issues
Energy development	Ok	No known significant energy development issues
Non-native species	Danger	Introduced brook trout pose competition risk
Water demand	Ok	Diversions in headwaters and lake addressed in recent years
Data issues	Warning	Stream flow and temperature data need improving

California Golden Trout

Listing status	Warning	Sensitive species (USFS) Species of Special Concern (CA)
Current range	Ok	49 percent of historical habitat currently occupied
Historical range	Danger	Historical distribution poorly understood, but range covered approximately 570,000 acres
Climate change	Danger	Drought, loss of snowpack, and wildfires are major issues
Energy development	Ok	No known significant energy development issues
Non-native species	Danger	Introduced rainbow trout pose competition and hybridization risk; brown trout pose competition and predation risk
Water demand	Ok	No known significant water demand issues
Data issues	Warning	Stream flow and temperature data need improving

Little Kern Golden Trout

Listing status	Danger	ESA Threatened Species of Special Concern (CA)
Current range	Ok	100 percent of historical habitat currently occupied
Historical range	Danger	Only 100 stream miles historically occupied
Climate change	Danger	Drought, loss of snowpack, and wildfires are major issues
Energy development	Ok	No known significant energy development issues
Non-native species	Danger	Non-native species present downstream below natural barrier
Water demand	Ok	No known significant water demand issues
Data issues	Warning	Stream flow and temperature data need improving

Kern River Rainbow Trout

Listing status	Warning	Sensitive species (USFS) Species of Special Concern (CA)
Current range	Warning	15 percent of historical habitat currently occupied
Historical range	Danger	Historical distribution poorly understood, but range covered approximately 560,000 acres
Climate change	Danger	Drought, loss of snowpack, and wildfires are major issues
Energy development	Ok	No known significant energy development issues
Non-native species	Warning	Introduced rainbow trout pose competition and hybridization risk; brown trout pose competition and predation risk; brook trout pose a competition risk
Water demand	Ok	No known significant water demand issues
Data issues	Danger	Poorly documented distribution and abundance; stream flow and temperature data need improving

Interior Columbia Basin and Northern Rockies

Westslope Cutthroat Trout

Listing status	Warning	Sensitive species (USFS, BLM) Species of Special Concern (OR, MT, ID, WY);Threatened in Canada
Current range	Ok	42 percent occupied by conservation populations in U.S.
Historical range	Ok	Historically occupied over 58,000 miles of stream habitat and 450,000 acres of lacustrine habitat in U.S.
Climate change	Warning	Wildfire risk compounded by forest health issues
Energy development	Warning	Higher risk in British Columbia portion of range on the Columbia River
Non-native species	Danger	Hybridization with rainbow trout and displaced by brook trout
Water demand	Ok	Impacts from agricultural diversions exist in valley bottoms but water quantity issues are minor
Data issues	Warning	Difficult to confirm abundance and genetics given expansive distribution and increasing pressure from non-native species.

Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout

Listing status	Warning	Sensitive species (USFS) Species of Special Concern (ID, MT, WY)
Current range	Ok	41 percent occupied by conservation populations
Historical range	Ok	Historically occupied over 17,000 miles of stream habitat and 125,000 acres of lacustrine habitat
Climate change	Warnning	Uncharacteristic wildfire, reduced snowpack and summer stream flow
Energy development	Ok	Minimal impact currently
Non-native species	Danger	Lake trout, brook trout, rainbow trout particularly problematic
Water demand	Ok	Impacts from agricultural diversions exist in valley bottoms but water quantity issues are minor
Data issues	Warning	Further genetic testing needed to monitor hybridization risk

Bull Trout

Listing status	Danger	Listed as Threatened under the ESA; Sensitive Species (BLM, USFS) Species of Special Concern (CA, ID, MT, NV, OR, WA)
Current range	Ok	Occupy 22,400 miles of stream habitat; approximately 60 percent of historical range.
Historical range	Ok	Ranged broadly throughout Klamath, Upper Snake, Columbia, Coastal and McCloud River systems
Climate change	Danger	Very sensitive to rising water temperatures; wildfires a concern with reduced snowpack and forest drying
Energy development	Ok	Minimal impacts other than legacy hydroelectric developments
Non-native species	Danger	Lake trout, brook trout, brown trout and northern pike are particularly problematic
Water demand	Ok	Dams fragment habitat
Data issues	Warning	Status of many smaller populations is uncertain

Columbia River Redband Trout

Listing status	Warning	Sensitive species (USFS, BLM), Species of Special Concern (ID, OR, WA)
Current range	Ok	44 percent of stream habitat currently occupied
Historical range	Ok	Historically occupied about 32,300 miles of stream habitat
Climate change	Danger	Wildfire, temperature and drought
Energy development	Ok	No known energy development projects
Non-native species	Danger	Introduced rainbow trout, brown trout, small-mouth bass
Water demand	Warning	Drought-prone landscape and agricultural demand
Data issues	Danger	Have only tested genetics on 18 percent of occupied habitat and still a fairly high level of uncertain- ty on current distribution and abundance

Lake Trout

Listing status	Warning	Species of Special Concern (MT)
Current range	Warning	Remnant populations are reduced, but the species has been widely stocked for sportfishing
Historical range	Ok	Native to a few glacial refugia lakes in Montana, the Great Lakes Basin, and some- what uncertain distribution in the northeast due to early, undocumented stockings.
Climate change	Warning	Warmer lake temperature may render some lakes unsuitable
Energy development	Ok	No known threats
Non-native species	Danger	Highly vulnerable to introduced salmonids
Water demand	Ok	No known issues
Data issues	Warning	Some native Montana populations lack adequate data

Interior Basins

Lahontan Cutthroat Trout

Listing status	Danger	ESA Threatened Sensitive species (USFS, BLM) Species of Special Concern (CA, NV, OR)
Current range	Danger	less than 1 percent of lake habitat currently occupied by self-sustained population; 4 percent stream habitat occupied
Historical range	Warnning	Moderate distribution historically, 59,500 acres of lake habitat
Climate change	Danger	Drought from reduced snowpack and wildfires are major issues
Energy development	Ok	Little impact in Sierra Nevada range
Non-native species	Danger	Non-native trout and salmon pose continual threats
Water demand	Danger	Agricultural uses threaten flows in this increasingly dry region
Data issues	Ok	Agency protocols differ among states for data collection, but generally good data for this region

Humboldt Cutthroat Trout

Listing status	Danger	ESA Threatened Sensitive species (USFS, BLM) Species of Special Concern (CA, NV, OR)
Current range	Danger	less than 9 percent of historical stream habitat
Historical range	Warning	Moderate distribution historically, 6,800 stream miles
Climate change	Danger	Drought, stream warming and wildfires are major issues
Energy development	Warning	Gas pipeline borders several populations
Non-native species	Warning	A relatively large # of un-hybridized populations, but brook trout and other non-native trout pose continual threats
Water demand	Warning	Agricultural uses threaten flows in this increasingly dry region
Data issues	Warning	Agency protocols differ among states for data collection, and many populations are sampled infrequently

Bonneville Cutthroat Trout

Listing status	Warning	Sensitive species (USFS,BLM) Species of Special Concern (ID, NV, UT, WY)
Current range	Ok	31 percent of historical habitat currently occupied
Historical range	Warning	Moderate distribution historically, 6,800 miles
Climate change	Warning	Drought and wildfires are issues, particularly for small populations
Energy development	Ok	Most of the energy development and identified reserves are outside of currently occupied water- sheds
Non-native species	Danger	Introduced rainbow trout pose hybridization risk; brown trout invading many streams as temps warm
Water demand	Danger	Agricultural demand and large metropolitan area
Data issues	Warning	Interagency work group maintains good pop data; habitat conditions and barriers need improved monitoring

Paiute Cutthroat Trout

Listing status	Danger	ESA Threatened Species of Special Concern (CA)
Current range	Danger	Historical distribution unoccupied, but current distribution occurs in comparable stream miles upstream
Historical range	Danger	Occurs in just 12.5 miles of habitat (9 miles historically)
Climate change	Danger	Drought, declining snowpack, and wildfires are major issues
Energy development	Ok	No known significant energy development issues
Non-native species	Danger	Introduced rainbow trout pose hybridization and competition risk
Water demand	Ok	No known significant water demand issues
Data issues	Ok	No known significant data issues

Colorado Plateau and Southern Rockies

Colorado River Cutthroat Trout

Listing status	Warning	Sensitive species (USFS, BLM) Species of Special Concern (CO, WY, UT)
Current range	Warning	~11 percent of historical habitat currently occupied by populations of conservation value
Historical range	Ok	Upper Colorado River Basin
Climate change	Warning	Stream warming and desiccation of headwater streams
Energy development	Danger	Oil and gas development in CO, WY, and UT
Non-native species	Danger	Introduced brook and rainbow trout have been widely stocked and rainbows hybridize with cutthroats
Water demand	Warning	Localized water demand can influence flows
Data issues	Warning	Current rangewide database exists, but some uncertainty exists with regard to genetic lineages due to historical stocking

Greenback Cutthroat Trout

Listing status	Danger	Listed as Threatened in ESA; Sensitive species (USFS, BLM), Species of Special Concern (CO, WY), currently under review by management agencies
Current range	Danger	Occupies only one stream, and recently reintroduced into one lake
Historical range	Warning	South Platte River basin
Climate change	Danger	Stream warming; reduced snowpack
Energy development	Ok	Populations currently protected
Non-native species	Danger	Introductions of non-native trout have greatly reduced the current range
Water demand	Ok	Populations currently protected
Data issues	Warning	The genetic identity of many cutthroat populations in Colorado has not been determined

Southwest

Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout

Listing status	Warning	Sensitive species (USFS, BLM) Species of Special Concern (CO, NM)
Current range	Danger	10 percent of historical habitat currently occupied
Historical range	Warning	Moderate distribution historically, 6,650 miles
Climate change	Danger	Drought, stream warming and wildfires are major issues, most streams with less than 1 cfs baseflow
Energy development	Warning	Some overlap with oil/gas leases and potential solar
Non-native species	Danger	Introduced rainbow trout pose hybridization risk; brown trout invading many streams as tempera- tures warm
Water demand	Warning	Many streams have diversions in lower reaches
Data issues	Warning	Interagency workgroup maintains good population data; flow data needs improving

Apache Trout

Listing status	Danger	ESA Threatened Species of Special Concern (AZ)
Current range	Warning	25 percent of historical habitat currently occupied
Historical range	Danger	Limited distribution historically, 680 miles
Climate change	Danger	Drought, stream warming and wildfires are major issues
Energy development	Ok	No known significant energy development issues
Non-native species	Danger	Introduced rainbow trout pose hybridization risk; brown trout invading many streams as tempera- tures warm
Water demand	Warning	Many streams are small and susceptible to diversions in lower reaches
Data issues	Warning	Recovery Team maintains good population data; habitat conditions and barriers need improved monitoring

Gila Trout

Listing status	Danger	ESA Threatened Species of Special Concern (NM, AZ)
Current range	Danger	5 percent of historical habitat currently occupied
Historical range	Danger	Limited distribution historically, 600 miles
Climate change	Danger	Drought, stream warming and wildfires are major issues
Energy development	Ok	No significant energy development issues
Non-native species	Danger	Introduced rainbow trout pose hybridization risk; brown trout and smallmouth bass invading streams as water warms
Water demand	Warning	Many streams are very small and susceptible to any diversions
Data issues	Warning	Recovery Team maintains good population data; habitat monitoring often lacking; tracking needed for non-native species

Great Lakes – Upper Mississippi

Brook Trout

Listing status	Ok	Species of Special Concern (IA)
Current range	Ok	~50 percent of historical habitat currently occupied; but widely stocked outside of historical habitat
Historical range	Ok	Widely distributed historically in the region, over 77 million acres
Climate change	Warning	Stream warming and higher frequency of larger floods
Energy development	Warning	Mining of frack sands for hydraulic fracturing is a threat in some areas
Non-native species	Danger	Introduced rainbow and brown trout pose competition and predation risks; Great Lakes salmon and steelhead pose competitive risk to coaster brook trout
Water demand	Ok	Localized water demand can influence flows
Data issues	Warning	No consistent rangewide database, but state databases exist

Lake Trout

Listing status	Ok	Species of Concern (IN, OH)
Current range	Danger	Populations in the Great Lakes are reduced, but the species has been widely stocked for sportfishing
Historical range	Ok	Great Lakes Basin, and somewhat uncertain distribution in the northeast due to early, undocument- ed stockings. Native to a few glacial refugia lakes in Montana
Climate change	Warning	Warmer lake temperature may render some lakes unsuitable
Energy development	Ok	No known threats
Non-native species	Danger	Pacific salmon and steelhead, sea lamprey, and invasive mussels
Water demand	Ok	No known issues
Data issues	Ok	Most populations have good monitoring data

Northeast

Brook Trout

Listing status	Ok	Species of Special Concern (NJ)
Current range	Ok	Northeast is stronghold of current distribution
Historical range	Ok	Widely distributed historically in the region, over 58 million acres
Climate change	Warning	Warmer temperatures and increased flooding in streams may influence populations
Energy development	Ok	Not much threat from proposed development
Non-native species	Warning	Naturalized populations are spreading and bait-bucket introductions continue to occur
Water demand	Warning	Hydropower and dams inhibit salter life history]
Data issues	Warning	Some uncertainty due to many unsampled waters, and much uncertainty on salter brook trout distribution

Sunapee Trout\Blueback Char

Listing status	Warning	Species of Concern (NH, VT, ME)
Current range	Danger	Occupies only about 14 lakes and ponds
Historical range	Danger	Historical distribution in US is small and sporadic
Climate change	Warning	Warmer lake temperatures may render some occupied lakes unsuitable
Energy development	Ok	Not much threat from proposed development
Non-native species	Danger	Non-native lake trout, Atlantic salmon, and smelt
Water demand	Ok	Not much of a threat
Data issues	Ok	Good information about limited distributions

Lake Trout

Listing status	Ok	Not listed
Current range	Warning	Has been widely stocked in the northeast for sportfishing
Historical range	Ok	Great Lakes basin, and somewhat uncertain distribution in the northeast due to early, undocumented stockings. Native to a few glacial refugia lakes in Montana
Climate change	Warning	Warmer lake temperature may render some lakes unsuitable, in some cases due to temperature inter- actions with nutrients
Energy development	Ok	No known threats
Non-native species	Danger	Atlantic salmon, smelt and other introduced fishes
Water demand	Ok	Many lake trout lakes have water control structures
Data issues	Ok	Most populations have good monitoring data

Mid-Atlantic

Brook Trout

Listing status	Ok	Species of Special Concern (MD, TN)
Current range	Ok	59 percent of historical stream habitat currently occupied
Historical range	Ok	Widely distributed historically in the region, over 50 million acres
Climate change	Warning	Stream warming and increasing variability of precipitation are issues
Energy development	Danger	Epicenter of shale gas development in the east; ongoing and legacy issues with coal mining, conventional oil/gas wells
Non-native species	Danger	Introduced brown and rainbow trout pose continual competitive and predatory threats
Water demand	Warning	Water demand associated with energy development can cause acute stream flow issues
Data issues	Warning	Species distribution, stream temperature, passage, and flow data are largely lacking

Southeast

Brook Trout

Listing status	Warning	Sensitive Species (USFS) Species of Special Concern (SC, TN)
Current range	Ok	55 percent of historical stream habitat currently occupied
Historical range	Ok	Over 10 million acres of historical distribution in the region
Climate change	Danger	Stream warming is major issue
Energy development	Warning	No local energy development, but downwind of coal-fired power plants which con- tribute to acid rain and acidify streams at high elevations
Non-native species	Danger	Introduced brown and rainbow trout, northern strains of brook trout
Water demand	Warning	Population growth in the region may increase water demand
Data issues	Warning	Stream temperature data lacking; genetics information for many populations needs clarification