OutdoorNebraska

Trout in Nebraska The brown trout is most at home in streams that offer protection of abundant, dark hiding places, such as undercut banks, tree branches hanging into the water and fallen logs. The Nebraska state record for a brown trout is 20 pounds and 1 ounce. The fish was taken from the Snake River in 1973 on a grasshopper. Brown Trout Brook Trout The brown trout is Nebraska's most abundant trout species in streams. It is the toughest and most adaptable of the trout; it tolerates warmer and less clear water than either rainbows or brookies. The brown trout also can grow faster and live longer than the state's other trout species. Often found in rivers and streams, browns reproduce naturally if gravel deposits are present. The brown is a handsome trout. The light brown on its back turns to a lighter yellow-brown on its sides and belly. It has prominent black spots, and red or orange spots accented with halos on its back, sides and dorsal fin. The tail fin is usually free of spots. The brook trout is Nebraska's least abundant and smallest trout species – the state record tipping the scales at only 5 pounds, 1 ounce. It is also the least adaptable, requiring streams with moderate current and cold, crystal-clear water that sunlight can easily penetrate, promoting the growth of aquatic vegetation. Most small, meandering Pine Ridge streams fit that category perfectly, especially the headwaters of larger streams where brook trout thrive. The brook trout is the most colorful trout. It is easily identified by the beautiful red spots with blue aureoles (or halos) on its sides, the dark, wavy lines (called vermiculations) and forest-green swirls Marked by prominent spots, often red or orange and accented with halos, brown trout (Salmo trutta) are more wary and adaptable than brook or rainbow trout. Browns reproduce in Nebraska streams that have adequate deposits of gravel. Rainbow Trout Most Nebraska anglers recognize rainbow trout. In 2000 the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission stocked 60,060 keeper rainbows through its Urban Fisheries and Winter Trout Fishing programs. Rainbows are also stocked at a popular put-and-take trout lake at Two Rivers State Recreation Area near Venice, in Lake Ogallala, and in Panhandle ponds and pits. Rainbow trout are also present in numerous streams where they naturally reproduce at varying levels depending on available spawning gravel and the quality of the habitat. The rainbow is torpedo-shaped. It has a short head and short tail, which is slightly forked in adult fish. Its back is dark green and the color fades to silver on the sides and turns to a light-yellow or cream on the belly. A contrasting stripe ranging from pink to bright red runs horizontally along the lateral line on its sides from head to tail. It is speckled with black spots on the body, the tail and dorsal, or top, fins. An active fish, the rainbow well deserves its reputation as a wild, cartwheeling fighter when hooked. A Nebraska record 14-pound, 2-ounce rainbow trout was taken from a Keith County canal in 1975 on a nightcrawler. Identified by the small black spots on the entire tail, dorsal fins and side, and by the pink lateral band, the rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) is a mainstay in coldwater lakes and streams in northern and western Nebraska. In waters with little or no natural reproduction, rainbows are seasonally stocked from Game and Parks Commission hatcheries. The colorful brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis), which usually grows to a maximum of about 10 inches in Nebraska streams with naturally reproducing populations, is a trophy at any size. Small Sandhills and Pine Ridge coldwater streams, including Soldier Creek above Fort Robinson State Park, harbor brook trout populations. on its back and dorsal fin, and by the pink or reddish color of the lower fins that are delicately edged with white. Brook trout are at their most colorful during the spawning season, which occurs from mid-September to late-October. The tail, or caudal fin, is very slightly forked, sometimes appearing to be almost square, accounting for its nickname, "squaretail." In the early 19th century, the brook trout was among the most sought-after fish in the country, and it is said to be responsible for the popularity of trout fishing in the United States. Though brookies were widespread in the 1880s, their numbers and availability have dwindled, primarily because pollution, silty conditions and warm water temperatures have reduced suitable habitat. The state record brook was taken from Pawnee Springs near North Platte in 1965. NEBRASKAland Magazine ● Trout Fishing in Nebraska's Streams 3 FISH ART BY DUANE RAVER, UNITED STATES FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE BOB GRIER Though few anglers associate trout fishing with Nebraska, some historical accounts, but little scientific evidence, indicate cutthroat trout might have been native to northern streams now within the state's borders. Today, three species of trout, all imports, live in Nebraska. The brown trout (Salmo trutta) was introduced from Europe, the rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) was imported from the West Coast, and the brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) was brought from the East Coast. Most of Nebraska's trout-supporting streams flow through private land in the northern and western areas of the state; anglers must receive landowner permission to fish in streams on private property. However, there are some public-access areas that offer quality trout fishing in Nebraska. Trout require the right habitat to live and reproduce. Trout streams must have clean, cold water, vegetated banks, and a tree canopy to maintain cool water temperatures on sunny summer days. Some Sandhills trout streams lack tree cover. To compensate, they are fed by numerous coldwater springs and streams, which add cool water to the flows, maintaining acceptable temperatures. Several Nebraska streams have naturally reproducing brown trout populations, and brook trout maintain their numbers through natural reproduction in some Pine Ridge streams. Because rainbows spawn mainly in late winter and early spring, few streams have self-sustaining rainbow populations. Most Nebraska waters that have rainbow trout depend on regular stockings of hatchery-raised fish.

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