Tyus et al. California golden trout are native to two stream systems on the eastern side of the Kern River: Golden Trout Creek and the South Fork Kern River (Tulare County). The golden trout has golden flanks with red, horizontal bands along the lateral lines on each side and about 10 dark, vertical, oval marks (called "parr marks") on each side. The Golden Trout Wilderness was established within Inyo National Forest and Sequoia National Forest in 1978. Golden Trout are officially listed as a “Species of Concern”. Outside of its native range in California, Golden trout are more often found in cirques and creeks in wilderness areas around 10,500–12,000"+, often beyond 12,500"+ passes that are not passable without crampons, ice axes, and ropes until after the Fourth of July. Other Names: Freshwater species include rainbow, lake, brook or speckled, golden, cutthroat, brown, and steelhead or salmon trout. Golden Trout Paint Schedule by Jeff Lumsden using Polytranspar™ Airbrush Paints. Two variants survive: the so-called “California Golden” (distribution shown as the yellow polygon in the interactive map) and the “Little Kern Golden” (the magenta streams, in the Little Kern River basin, west of the California Golden range). The golden rainbow is a color variant of the rainbow trout. Big Whitney Meadow from Cottonwood Pass Both of these are designated Wild Trout Waters, and the Golden Trout Creek is a designated Heritage Water. Golden Trout Creek is thought to have once formed the headwaters of the South Fork Kern River but, due to volcanic activity thousands of years ago, it was diverted west near Tunnel Meadow and now flows directly to the Kern River. In their native habitat, adults range from 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm) long. [8] The only other species of fish indigenous to the native range of California golden trout is the Sacramento sucker (Catostomus occidentalis occidentalis). The California Golden Trout are native specifically to the Kern Plateau in the southern area of the Sierra Nevada Mountain range in California. See the Golden Trout page for information about California's state fish. A number of DVFF members have taken on and finished the (California Heritage Trout Challenge over the year.Now it’s your chance to benefit from their experience! Due to their singular beauty and popularity as a unique sport fish, California golden trout have been widely distributed outside their native range, mostly in high elevation lakes and streams in the Sierra Nevada. Populations have been in steady decline for decades. They were stocked extensively outside their native range into numerous high-elevation lakes and streams throughout the Sierra Nevada Mountains. LANSING, MI (STL.News) The Healthy Michigan Plan is now providing health care coverage to more than 800,000 low-income residents for the first time, Gov. The Pigeon River Country Association is donating as matching funds its remaining $1,150 from its dam re-moval account. It is unknown whether California golden trout naturally occurred in the Kern River, although it is likely that some level of movement occurred between these formerly connected rivers. "Growth and vitality in yellow forms of rainbow trout". [11], O. m. aguabonita is native to the southern Sierra Nevada, including the upper reach and tributaries of the South Fork of the Kern River, and Golden Trout Creek and its tributaries. [19] The current status in other states where the California golden trout were planted (Arizona, New Mexico and Oregon) lacks documentation. The California golden trout, or simply the golden trout (Oncorhynchus aguabonita or Oncorhynchus mykiss aguabonita), is a species of trout native to California. Populations in the high-elevation lakes in the Ruby Mountains, Nevada, have died out. Chuck Yeager and the New Mexico population. These were successful and these lakes are now fishless. Years of overexploitation, mismanagement and competition with exotic species have brought golden trout to the brink of being designated as "threatened". On the plateau you will find both the Golden Trout Creek and the South Fork Kern River. The Flowing Well Trout Farm is a former private fish hatchery located in Excelsior Township of Kalkaska County, on Highway M-72, approximately 8 miles east of ... regarding the distribution and condition of threatened, endangered, and other rare Populations of California golden trout currently occupy all of the historical distribution in Golden Trout Creek and 17 percent of the historic distribution in the South Fork Kern River. [7], The golden trout is commonly found at elevations from 6,890 feet (2,100 m) to 10,000 feet (3,000 m) above sea level, and is native to California's southern Sierra Nevada mountains. It is unknown how far downstream California golden trout were historically distributed and the only documentation is from longtime Kernville resident, Ardis Walker. Together, these three trout form what is sometimes referred to as the "golden trout complex". "A description of the golden trout of Kern River, California, "Comprehensive Report Species – Oncorhynchus mykiss whitei", "Comprehensive Report Species – Oncorhynchus mykiss gilberti", https://www.ab-conservation.com/downloads/report_series/a-summary-of-sport-fish-communities-in-seven-high-mountain-lakes-in-southwestern-alberta.pdf, "The New Gold Rush: Celebrating and Protecting the California Golden Trout in the Sierra Nevada", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Golden_trout&oldid=1004237969, Critically endangered fauna of California, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2014, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2013, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 1 February 2021, at 17:57. Yet public demand for trout stocking The CSI analysis of future security suggests the Little Kern golden trout is at low to moderate risk. Dorsal, lateral and anal fins have white leading edges. (2004), Taylor (1954), and records at the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Newberry Operations Service Center and from the Michigan Department of Natural The signature bright gold of the lower sides. Conservation Assessment and Strategy for the California Golden Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss aguabonita) Tulare County, California, "Comprehensive Report Species – Oncorhynchus mykiss aguabonita". California golden trout are native to two stream systems on the eastern side of the Kern River: Golden Trout Creek and the South Fork Kern River (Tulare County). It has been introduced in hundreds of lakes and streams outside the native range, though most of these populations did not last or hybridized with cutthroat trout and other subspecies of rainbow trout. Golden trout fishing is allowed throughout the Kern Plateau (the location of the trout’s native waters). Information on purchasing licenses, permits, tags and other entitlements, can be found on CDFW’s Online License Site. Because the subspecies’ entire distribution lies within the Golden Trout Wilderness Area of Sequoia National Forest, Sequoia National Park, and Giant Sequoia National Monument, there is no risk of land