By the time they return to fresh water to spawn, they can be up to 18 inches long and are bright silver, much like a small steelhead. While in the sea, sea-run cutthroat feed on crustaceans and small fish, growing up to one inch a month.
Unlike salmon and steelhead, sea-run trout don’t migrate far from their home river and return to freshwater in late summer – July and August. This is a sea-run strain of the coastal cutthroat that travels into the saltwater estuaries for a few months of the year. The profusion of black spots and the red-orange slashes on the jaw help distinguish them from rainbow trout.Ĭutthroats that are year-round residents of small streams may not get any bigger than 8-9 inches, but can reward the angler with an aggressive bite and enthusiastic fight.īait is not generally allowed on coastal streams above tidewater, but these feisty fish respond well to spinners, flies and other artificial lures. They also are stocked in high mountain hike-in lakes where the water stays cool throughout the summer.Ĭoastal cutthroat trout are heavily spotted – even on the belly. The most common variety in Oregon is the coastal cutthroat found in the streams and beaver ponds in coastal drainages. These trout get their name from the red-orange slashes on the underside of the lower jaw. These fish feed primarily on smaller fish, so flies and lures that mimic minnows work well.
Today, native populations can be found in the Whitehorse and Willow creek basins that are so far southeast in Oregon they’re practically in Nevada. This variety has adapted to dry, highly alkaline conditions and was once widespread throughout the Lahontan Basin of California, Nevada and southeast Oregon.
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