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The bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) is a species of char native to western North America.
Like all char, bull trout are a cold-water species. They prefer clean, fresh water.
The bull trout and Dolly Varden have long been confused with each other, especially where their range overlaps. The two species will hybridize with each other as well as with brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis).
Their current range includes the Columbia, Snake, St. Mary, and Klamath river drainages, Puget Sound and the Salish Sea, and waterways of the Olympic Peninsula.
In Nevada, bull trout can only be found within the Jarbidge River drainage.
Their historic range includes the upper Sacramento River drainage, particularly the McCloud River, where they are now extirpated. Fossil records indicate they may have been present in the ancient Lake Bonneville basin.
Globally bull trout are vulnerable. Extant populations in Nevada and Washington are critically imperiled while those in Oregon and Montana are imperiled. The Idaho population is apparently secure.
Bull trout. Caught in Nevada.
Angler Challenges
The bull trout is included Western Native Trout Challenge, but only catches in Oregon, Idaho, and Nevada qualify.
The bull trout is also included in the Nevada Native Fish-Slam.
See rules for each challenge and state regulations for restrictions.
Additional Reading
Oregon Native Fish Status Report, Volumes I and II, by Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
Trout and Salmon of North America by Robert Behnke
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