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The coastal cutthroat trout (O. clarkii) are one of four species making up the cutthroat trout complex. While the species have multiple ecotypes, none are currently recognized as being separate subspecies from the type subspecies (O. c. clarkii). Coastal cutthroat trout are also referred to sea-run trout, speckled trout, harvest trout and blueback trout. Its scientific name honors William Clark of the Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1804-1806.
Forms of Coastal Cutthroat Trout
Coastal cutthroat trout can be found in a number of distict forms:
semi-anadromous or sea-run form,
stream form, and
lake form.
The sea-run adults migrate from the ocean to fresh water streams to spawn. Juviniles return to the oceans to mature into adults before repeating the cycle. The adults tend to stay near the mouth of the river system they were born in, living in estuaries and near shore waters of the ocean.
Some populations, such as the Lake Crescent population, do not migrate to the ocean instead they spend their entire life in freshwater lakes and streams.
A coastal cutt. USDA Photo.
The coastal cutthroat trout's range.
Native Range
The native range extends from the Prince William Sound in Alaska down to the Eel River in California. They are found in waters flowing into the Pacific Ocean.
Their range of the species overlaps that of the coastal rainbow trout (O. mykiss irideus). While the two species can naturally hybridize but infrequently do. These hybrids (O. mykiss x O. clarkii) are commonly called coastal cutbows or coastal bowcutts.
Challenges
Coastal cutthroat trout legally caught in their native drainages in California, Oregon, Washington and Alaska count for the Western Native Trout Challenge. Those caught in Califoria portion of their native drainage also qualify California Heritage Trout Challenge (CHTC) as well as the). See challenge rules for restrictions.
I've caught many coastal cutties over the years, primarily hooked with targeting steelhead. For the CHTC, I ventured out to the Smith River watershed to fish a headwater creek holding resident (non-anadromous) coasties. This makes getting into a coastal cutthroat easy and avoids all the special regulations that apply in anadromous waters. See Hunting California's Native Trout for my CHTC stories. For the WNTC, I plan on use a catch from Oregon or Washington.
A juvenille coastal cutthroat trout. Caught on a tributary of the Smith River in California.
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