Rainbow Trout

The rainbow trout is the most popular freshwater sport fish in British Columbia.

Also known as: Kamloops trout, Gerrard trout and silver trout
B.C. record: almost 24 kg (52.8 lbs) came from Jewel Lake.
Average size: 30 - 75 cm (11.8 - 29.5 in), 1 - 7 kg (2.2 - 15.4 lbs)

What they look like: Rainbows have fairly small heads with well-developed teeth on the roof of the mouth and no teeth at the base of the tongue. They have a small, soft, fleshy fin (adipose) on their back behind the dorsal fin and black spots on their back, sides and fins. The adipose fin also has spots, often forming a black border around its edge. Young and dwarf adults have dark bars on their sides. The colour is silvery overall, often with an iridescent pink to reddish band along the lateral line. The tail is slightly forked, and more forked in juveniles. In spawning condition the red stripe on their sides becomes more pronounced and their bodies darken to a smoky-grey hue.

Where they live: In B.C., the rainbow's native distribution was confined to coastal and interior drainage systems that flowed west to the Pacific Ocean. They have since been introduced in numerous other watersheds.

Look for stream-dwelling rainbow trout in small to moderately large, shallow, rivers with gravel bottoms and pool-riffle habitats. Lake-resident rainbow trout prefer deeper, cool lakes with adequate shallows and vegetation for good food production.

What they eat: Rainbow trout eat leeches, crustaceans, molluscs, and insects such as caddis flies and black flies. They also eat salmon eggs when available. Rainbow trout that eat fish (piscivorous) and those that run to the sea (steelhead), generally reach a larger size than other rainbows.

Find detailed information in the Ministry of Environment's Fish Facts Factsheets: > MORE INFO