Coastal Rainbow Trout

Coastal Rainbow Trout

The coastal rainbow trout (O.m. irideus) is a rainbow trout subspecies native to cold-water tributaries of the Pacific Ocean across northeastern Asia and western North America.  The North American portion of the range extends from Southern California up to the Aleutian Islands of Alaska.  Anadromous (see-run) forms of coastal rainbow trout are commonly called steelhead.

Only coastal rainbow trout caught in Alaska qualify for the Western Native Trout Challenge.

The coastal rainbow trout also qualifies for California's Heritage Trout Challenge.  Qualifying catches can be reported as either steelhead or coastal rainbow trout to select artwork depicting, anadromous and non-anadromous forms, respectively. 

For steelhead, my favorite fishery is the Trinity River. For non-anadromous forms, I'm a fan of waters of the western Sierra, such as the upper Mokelumne River and its tributaries.