Bull Trout Troubled Fisheries

Fisheries

Times have changed dramatically since 1949, when the world record bull trout of 32 pounds was caught in Lake Pend Oreille.

The species has declined so dramatically that killing a bull trout soon will be banned even in Lake Pend Oreille, the last place in Oregon, Washington or Idaho where the species can be taken. The Pend Oreille closure takes effect Jan. 1.

Three forms of bull trout are found in Idaho:

Lake dwellers that spawn in tributary streams and potentially reach sizes up to about 40 pounds.

Those that grow potentially to the 10-pound range while living in large rivers and use small tributaries to spawn.

Those that spend their entire lives in small streams and rarely reach more than 12 inches long.

Bull trout need cold streams with stable channels, clean spawning gravel, diverse cover and unblocked migration routes. Basically, they need healthy watersheds. This has been their undoing.

In order to release the threatened fish, anglers must learn to distinguish bull trout from other species, such as brook and lake trout.

Bull trout never have spots on the dorsal fin.

The bull trout’s back and sides range from olive green to bronze with spots in shades of pale yellow, orange and red.

Thus, if you catch a trout-like fish with light spots on a dark background and no markings on the dorsal fin, it’s a bull trout. Let it go.