Golden Trout
A high-elevation trout, native to California's Sierra Nevada, prized by anglers and stocked in select alpine lakes and streams in the Pacific Northwest and Rockies.
- Scientific name
- Oncorhynchus aguabonita / hybrid strains
- Family
- Salmonidae
- Adult size
- Typically 8–14 inches in stocked waters.
Identification
Brilliant golden-yellow flanks, a red horizontal band, and dark parr marks retained into adulthood.
Habitat
Cold, clear high-elevation lakes and streams.
Diet
Aquatic and terrestrial insects.
Angling
A bucket-list fish for many western anglers, often requiring a backcountry hike to reach stocked alpine lakes.
Conservation
California's native golden trout populations are a conservation concern; fish stocked elsewhere are hatchery-raised for sport fisheries.
Where Golden Trout is stocked
When Golden Trout is stocked
Top Golden Trout waters
Bozeman Pond
5 species · 389 records
Last stocked September 2025
Rainbow Lake
9 species · 276 records
Last stocked September 2025
Duck Lake
7 species · 243 records
Last stocked May 2026
Cliff Lake
4 species · 153 records
Last stocked June 2025
Clear Lake
Chelan County · 5 species · 125 records
Last stocked April 2026
Black Lake
Chelan County · 6 species · 113 records
Last stocked May 2026
Rogers Lake
3 species · 112 records
Last stocked September 2024
Sidley Lake
Okanogan County · 3 species · 104 records
Last stocked July 2026
Medicine Lake
10 species · 82 records
Last stocked June 2025
Keechelus Lake
Kittitas County · 4 species · 79 records
Last stocked May 2026
Smith Lake
6 species · 68 records
Last stocked May 2026
Snowbank Lake
3 species · 68 records
Last stocked May 2025
Lost Lake
Okanogan County · 4 species · 62 records
Last stocked May 2026
Heart Lake
5 species · 38 records
Last stocked September 2025
Island Lake
6 species · 37 records
Last stocked September 2024
Renshaw Lake
5 species · 37 records
Last stocked September 2025
Rhoda Lake
3 species · 37 records
Last stocked July 2023
Martin Lake
4 species · 32 records
Last stocked July 2023
Mirror Lake
Kittitas County · 2 species · 32 records
Last stocked July 2025
Crescent Lake
3 species · 31 records
Last stocked August 2024
Lena Lake
3 species · 28 records
Last stocked October 2021
Cavanaugh Lake Little
Snohomish County · 3 species · 27 records
Last stocked July 2025
Sock Lake
2 species · 26 records
Last stocked September 2025
Foolhen Lake
3 species · 22 records
Last stocked November 2021
Frequently asked
Where is Golden Trout stocked?
Golden Trout is stocked in 189 waters across 3 states: Washington, Montana, Utah.
When is Golden Trout stocked?
Golden Trout is typically stocked in fall, most often in September, based on records across every state that stocks it.
How many Golden Trout are stocked?
About 3,638,650,278,750,213,000 Golden Trout have been stocked on record since 1931, across Montana, Utah, Washington.
What size Golden Trout are stocked?
Stocked Golden Trout average about 2.1 inches, based on sizes reported by Montana, Utah — not every state reports sizes.
What does a Golden Trout look like?
Brilliant golden-yellow flanks, a red horizontal band, and dark parr marks retained into adulthood.