BigTrout.com - Colorado's Trout Species

Identifying
Colorado's Trout

Cutthroat Trout Cutthroat (Native) Trout - Cutthroat have a crimson slash on either side of the throat beneath the lower jaw. The greenback cutthroat trout sub-species (pictured) was designated as the official state fish of Colorado in 1994.

Brown Trout - The spotting pattern is made up of black spots and red-orange spots inside light blue circles.

Rainbow Trout
Rainbow Trout - Identifying marks are black spots on a light body and a red stripe along the sides of the fish.

Brook Trout - The pectoral, pelvic, and anal fins are often orange, edged with black and white. The body is dark with white and red spots inside blue circles.

Kokanee Salmon Kokanee Salmon - At the end of their third summer, females develop a red-gray-white pattern while males develop a hook jaw and turn brick red.

Lake Trout (Mackinaw) - This fish has a white, irregular spot pattern on a dark body and veriform markings over the back and head. Unlike other trout, they have a deeply indented tail fin.

Mountain Whitefish Mountain Whitefish - Although not a trout, the mountain whitefish is a popular cold-water gamefish in Colorado. The mouth of the whitefish is smaller than that of a trout and does not extend back to below the center of the eye as it does on a trout.

	Identifying Colorado's Trout

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	Cutthroat (Native) Trout - Cutthroat have a crimson slash on either side of the throat beneath the lower jaw. The greenback cutthroat trout sub-species (pictured) was designated as the official state fish of Colorado in 1994.

Brown Trout - The spotting pattern is made up of black spots and red-orange spots inside light blue circles.

	Rainbow Trout - Identifying marks are black spots on a light body and a red stripe along the sides of the fish.

Brook Trout - The pectoral, pelvic, and anal fins are often orange, edged with black and white. The body is dark with white and red spots inside blue circles.

	Kokanee Salmon - At the end of their third summer, females develop a red-gray-white pattern while males develop a hook jaw and turn brick red.

Lake Trout (Mackinaw) - This fish has a white, irregular spot pattern on a dark body and veriform markings over the back and head. Unlike other trout, they have a deeply indented tail fin.

	Mountain Whitefish - Although not a trout, the mountain whitefish is a popular cold-water gamefish in Colorado. The mouth of the whitefish is smaller than that of a trout and does not extend back to below the center of the eye as it does on a trout.