Rainbow Trout

Q: Can you eat Rainbow Trout?

Delicate, mildly sweet flesh ranging from white to pink; low to moderate fat. Excellent pan-fried with butter, baked, or smoked; a top-tier freshwater table fish.

Q: How big does Rainbow Trout get?

Rainbow Trout can grow up to 120.0 cm long and weigh 25.4 kg.

Q: Where is Rainbow Trout found?

Native to cold rivers and coastal waters of western North America from Alaska to northern Mexico. Anadromous steelhead run migrate between Pacific coastal rivers and the open ocean. Native to cool, clear rivers and streams of western North America; introduced worldwide. Prefers cold, oxygen-rich water (10-18°C) over gravel and cobble at 0-500m elevation. Migrates upstream to spaw

Q: Is Rainbow Trout endangered?

The conservation status of Rainbow Trout is Least Concern according to the IUCN Red List.

Q: What family does Rainbow Trout belong to?

Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) belongs to the family Salmonidae (Salmons and trouts) in the order Salmoniformes (Salmon and trout).

Abstract

Marked by a vivid pink-to-crimson stripe along densely black-spotted flanks, the rainbow trout is a Pacific salmonid native to cold rivers of western North America from Alaska to northern Mexico. Its sea-run form, the steelhead, migrates between coastal rivers and the open ocean, while resident fish stay in cool, oxygen-rich streams over gravel. Widely introduced across the globe, it is prized by anglers for acrobatic leaps and is a mainstay of freshwater aquaculture. Reaching 1.2 metres, it offers delicate, mildly sweet flesh ranging from white to pink, excellent pan-fried, baked, or smoked. Adaptable and widespread, the species is assessed as Least Concern.