Hobbies And Interests
California Golden Trout
The California golden trout, California's official state fish, is native to the upper Kern River Basin. The upper Kern River Basin is located in the southern Sierra Nevada mountains. Through fish stocking, California golden trout populations exist in more than 200 mountain lakes and streams, such as Cottonwood Lakes and Volcano Creek. The California golden trout average 5 to 7 inches long. They are yellow-gold to olive-green, with small black dots on their fins and tails and long back squares (parr marks) on their sides. They also have two red stripes. One stripe runs along the trout's side and another runs along its belly. They spawn early to midsummer and can live up to seven years. California Trout, a conservation group based in San Francisco, estimates that the California golden trout has a high likelihood of extinction because of hybridization with the coastal rainbow trout, damage to its habitats from livestock grazing and competition with non-native brown trout.
Coastal Rainbow Trout
The coastal rainbow trout is one native trout species that is thriving in many areas of California. Originally found in all coastal streams from San Diego to as far north as Smith River near the Oregon border, the coastal rainbow trout is now found in almost all streams across California due to fish stocking. The coastal rainbow trout has an overall silver color, with a white belly and black spots on its tail, fins and back. A pink to rosy horizontal stripe runs along its side. They average in length from 20 to 30 inches and weigh about 8 pounds. Coastal rainbow trout spawn between the months of February and June and live about four to six years.
Paiute Cutthroat Trout
The Paiute cutthroat trout is the rarest of California's native trout and is in danger of extinction. Extinct from its original habitat of Llewellyn Falls downstream to Silver King Canyon, some populations of the Paiute cutthroat trout are now found in Cottonwood Creek near Lake Tahoe. They are pale yellow to brownish-olive, with much less of the black spotting that is characteristic of other California trout varieties. While they lack the spots, the Paiute cutthroat trout does have parr marks and a red line along its side. Adult Paiute cutthroat trout average 6 to 10 inches in length. They have a short lifespan, with few surviving beyond four years, and spawn between June and July. In 1967, they were listed as federally endangered, but were downgraded to a threatened status in 1973.
Goose Lake Redband Trout
The Goose Lake redband trout are found in Goose Lake near the Oregon border as well as in nearby tributary streams and creeks. There are two forms of Goose Lake redband trout. The lake form, which spawns in tributary streams but returns to Goose Lake afterward, averages 20 to 24 inches long. The stream form, which lives year-round in streams, reaches 6 to 8 inches in length. The backs of Goose Lake redband trouts are olive or greenish-blue while the rest of their bodies are yellow or pale green. They have a red stripe across their bodies and black dots all over. Conservation efforts have prevented the Goose Lake redband trout from immediate threat of extinction, but they still face threats from overfishing, non-native fish competition, habitat degradation and weather changes.