There is one fish that stands above all else in the Greater Yellowstone Region. Yes, brown trout grow big and eat streamers, and rainbow trout jump and fight like none other. But the Yellowstone Cutthroat is one of the defining species of the Yellowstone Region. It is the only place in the world where anglers can catch native Yellowstone Cutthroat trout, and anglers travel from all over to lay eyes on this special strain of cutthroat.
In this article, I share my love for the most renowned native fish in the Greater Yellowstone Region.
The Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout
While most famous in Yellowstone National Park, Yellowstone Cutthroat trout can be found in Idaho, Montana, Utah, Nevada, and Wyoming. Their spotting patterns vary greatly, but most often they have large, dark spots lightly spread throughout their body. Highlighted with gold, red, and pink hues. Their cheeks and throats are often rose red, making them among the most beautiful sights in the region.
Yellowstone Cuthroat spawn in the spring and early summer, usually May and June. They live in cold, clear rivers and lakes throughout the Yellowstone Region. They can be rather sensitive to water temperatures, preferring slightly cooler water temperatures than other trout species in the region.
To The Angler
To the angler, the Yellowstone Cutthroat is a bucket-list fish for many reasons.
The most notable is the way they rise to a dry fly. Since they live in alpine environments, their growing seasons are rather short. This makes Yellowstone Cutthroat opportunistic feeders, and they love to take food off the surface. On top of being prone to eating a dry fly, they are known to have one of the most unique rise forms in all of trout fishing. Their slow inspection of a dry fly is a sight to see. It is mind-blowing to watch a big cutthroat slowly tilt his fins and rise to the surface, swim under your fly for a few feet, and finally slurp it off the surface. If that doesn’t get you going as a fly angler, I don’t know what will.
Because of the clear water Yellowstone cutthroat inhabit, there are usually ample sight fishing opportunities. Some of my favorite days of fishing involve sight fishing for Yellowstone cutthroat in the backcountry. Watching these fish cruise around munching bugs off the surface is what dreams are made of.
Lastly, there is something special about targeting Yellowstone Cutthroat. Targeting these fish in their native range, with the wildlife roaming the landscapes, the adventure it often takes to find them, and the challenge that comes with it. It’s just a wild experience, and it checks all the boxes for why we fish above and beyond the catching.
Worth Protecting
With how special Yellowstone Cutthroat are, we can all agree that this species is worth protecting at all costs.
They face many threats that will persist for years to come. The introduction of non-native fish species and hybridization are among the biggest threats, as pure-strain populations have been severely hybridized or wiped out. The biggest story over the last 30 years has been the lake trout debacle in Yellowstone Lake, but this is not the only fishery suffering from these issues.
On top of that, climate change is having a great impact on the ecosystems Yellowstone cutthroat call home. Warming water temperatures threaten all trout species, and cutthroat are at the top of that list because of their preference for cold water.
Yellowstone Cutthroat are also extremely susceptible to overfishing. They are very willing to take a fly or lure and can be caught rather often by anglers. This can lead to fish mortality through catch-and-release, but a greater concern is the number of people who catch and kill fish. While legal in some fisheries, these populations could be severely threatened by poaching.
Now, there are many ways we anglers can show our love for the Yellowstone Cutthroat. Yes, giving money and time to the many organizations working hard to protect species is one way to do so. Yellowstone Forever has been the lead on the Yellowstone Lake project. In addition, I believe a thoughtful approach to cutthroat fishing can go a long way, especially if we all buy in.
Things like avoiding cutthroat fisheries during the spawn and limiting how many Yellowstone Cutthroat we catch in a day. No need to put fifty cutthroat to net to appreciate their beauty. We can use our voices to raise awareness of how special this species is and fight to maintain the regulations put in place to protect them. Things like catch-and-release requirements, barbless hooks, single hooks only, and a shorter fishing season go a long way toward protecting our beloved Yellowstone Cutthroat.
I write this with great love and passion, and like many, the Yellowstone Cutthroat is special to me. There is a world in which these populations would have been severely diminished if it weren’t for drastic conservation efforts that continue to this day. I am part of a generation that is being told that many of the trout fisheries we know and love today will no longer exist when we grow old. That we will not be able to share these experiences with our grandkids. While that may be dramatic and grim, this is a possibility. The Yellowstone Cutthroat is at the heart of these discussions. If we lose them, we lose a lifeblood species of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and what makes fishing this region so special. We cannot let this happen.
Thanks for reading and following The Curious Angler,
Nick
