Rainbow Trout - Montana Fly Fishing Species
Rainbow trout are the most popular game fish in Montana.
Anglers fishing with Fins and Feathers Guide Service can expect to encounter rainbow trout while fly fishing in Montana. They are common to all the rivers where our Bozeman fly fishing guide service operates.
Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) thrive in various habitats including ponds, reservoirs, lakes, and streams. Different strains of rainbow trout are used for different purposes and habitats.
Rainbow trout feed on plankton, aquatic and terrestrial insects, and occasionally smaller fishes.
They spawn in early spring, around April or May, in running water and can maintain their populations if the habitat is not degraded.
Introduced from various hatchery stocks in 1889, rainbow trout adapted to almost every suitable habitat across the state. The introduction of rainbow trout has resulted in a significant decrease in the range of the native cutthroat trout population due to hybridization and competition.
While most rainbows caught are non-native, the rainbow trout of the upper Kootenai River drainage are native to the state. These natives are categorized as Fish of Special Concern by Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks.
Over the past century, the state stocked hundreds of millions of rainbow trout in state waters. However, today, thanks to sound science and updated policies, rainbow trout are only stocked in lakes and reservoirs.
The state record for rainbow trout is more than 33 pounds, and fish weighing up to 10 pounds are common in some of the most productive waters.