Legendary Species · Trout
Golden trout
Oncorhynchus aguabonita[1] · also California golden trout
The belly, gill covers, lower jaw and lateral line are vivid red to red-orange. The back is deep olive-green, fading to bright gold on the sides of the fish.[2]
- 0waters list it
- 0states and regions
- 2agency sources
Identification
- The belly, gill covers, lower jaw and lateral line are vivid red to red-orange. The back is deep olive-green, fading to bright gold on the sides of the fish.[2]
What the source says
“Coloration is spectacularly bright: the belly, opercula, lower jaws, and lateral line are a vivid red to red-orange. The back is a deep olive-green, fading to bright gold on the sides of the fish.”
- Golden trout usually keep about ten parr marks along the lateral line as adults. Their large, round, dark spots are concentrated toward the tail and on the dorsal and tail fins, and there are usually no spots below the lateral line.[2]
What the source says
“About ten parr marks are centered on the lateral line and are usually present through adulthood. Body spots are large, round, dark, and concentrated near the caudal peduncle and on the dorsal and caudal fins. Spots are not usually present below the lateral line.”
- The paired fins are orange, and some have white or yellow tips with a black band behind them. The dorsal fin has a white to orange tip.[2]
What the source says
“Paired fins are orange, and some have white or yellow tips preceded by a black band. Dorsal fin also with a white to orange tip.”
Habitat and range
- California golden trout are native to just two stream systems on the east side of the Kern River in Tulare County: Golden Trout Creek and the South Fork Kern River.[1]
What the source says
“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).”
- They have been stocked widely outside that native range, mostly in high-elevation lakes and streams in the Sierra Nevada, and also in lakes in Wyoming's Wind River Range.[1]
What the source says
“California golden trout have been widely distributed outside their native range, mostly in high elevation lakes and streams in the Sierra Nevada. They were also transplanted to numerous lakes in the Wind River Range in Wyoming.”
Status, protections and rules
Legal status and rules as the agency stated them on the date read. Rules change: check the current regulations for the water.
- Golden trout were proposed for federal Endangered Species Act listing in 2000 but were found not to merit it, mainly because of a multi-agency conservation strategy. California lists them as a State Species of Special Concern.[1]
What the source says
“California golden trout were proposed to be listed under the Federal Endangered Species Act in 2000 but were determined to not merit listing. This was mainly due to the many conservation actions and protections afforded under a multi-agency conservation strategy. They are currently a State Species of Special Concern.”
- CDFW names non-native trout and long-term, historically intensive grazing as the threats to California golden trout.[1]
What the source says
“California golden trout are threatened by non-native trout and land use impacts from long-term and historically-intensive grazing activities.”
- It is California's State Freshwater Fish.[2]
What the source says
“It is the State Freshwater Fish of California and has long been recognized for its unparalleled beauty.”
Fishing for it: what the agencies say
What agencies and extension services say about catching it, with the source for each line.
- Golden trout in the Golden Trout Wilderness creeks readily take all types of flies, especially dry flies and terrestrials. Small lures can also work, but casting is hard on small brushy tributaries.[2]
What the source says
“Most of the creeks within Golden Trout Wilderness abound with California golden trout and they are known to readily take flies of all types, particularly dries and terrestrials. Small lures may also be effective but casting in the smaller tributaries, often lined with riparian or meadow vegetation, can be difficult.”
- All waters on the Kern Plateau are open to angling, but many can be reached only by trail.[2]
What the source says
“All waters on the Kern Plateau are open to angling, although many are accessible only by trail since both watersheds are largely encompassed within the Golden Trout Wilderness.”
- Ask the nearest fly shop what is hatching on the water this week; it is the most current information there is.
- Match the size and colour of the insects you see on the water before changing anything else.
- Read the water page's gauge before you go: flow and water temperature change by the day.
Water temperature
Warm water stresses trout, char and salmon. These are the published temperature lines we show on every gauge, chosen state first: the state agency's own where it publishes one, otherwise federal guidance (said so). Each water page applies them to the gauge's live reading; the flow and temperature checker does the same for any gauge.
None of these waters is in the United States; we hold no temperature guidance for them.
Where to fish for golden trout
None of our water pages has an agency species list that names golden trout yet. Agencies publish species lists for only some waters; we never add a species from anywhere else.
Sources
Every fact on this page is our paraphrase of the page cited beside it, read on the date shown. Rules and seasons change: check the agency's current regulations before you fish.
- California Golden Trout California Department of Fish and Wildlife, read Oct 24, 2026.
- Fishing for California Golden Trout (native) California Department of Fish and Wildlife, read Oct 24, 2026.