8 species named: brown trout, crappie, cutthroat trout, largemouth bass, rainbow trout, smallmouth bass, striped bass…
Read at Tennessee TWRACutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarkii
4 of 7worth the trip today
Best right now at Green River below Flaming Gorge, Utah. Water is inside the 39–62° range cutthroat trout like at 1 of the 1 spot with a live reading.
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Where cutthroat trout score best right now
About cutthroat trout
The West's native trout, named for the red-orange slash under the jaw. Many subspecies — Yellowstone, Snake River fine-spotted, Bonneville, Colorado River, and the giant Lahontan strain of Pyramid Lake, which routinely tops 10 lb and once produced fish over 40. Feeds hard in cold water, which makes it a year-round target on tailwaters and a marquee winter–spring fishery at Pyramid. Hybridizes readily with stocked rainbows, so wild-cutthroat waters carry strict release rules.
Oncorhynchus clarkii, family Salmonidae.
Cutthroat trout, spot by spot
All 7 spots with cutthroat trout in season, scored for cutthroat trout, best first.
The water they want
Cutthroat trout feed from about 39° to 62°F and best near 54°. Each pin is one spot’s water right now, from NOAA and USGS gauges; 1 of 1 are inside the range.
ideal 54°
39°62°
How they feed
- Water39–62°F, best near 54°
- TideEither, as long as it moves
- MoonEither
- DepthUsually 1–25 ft
- Active monthsSep–Jun
Scored against their own temperature range and tide preference first, then wind, weather and warnings. Solunar periods only break ties. How the score works
Keep or release
- Idaho non-tidal6 a dayIdaho general rules: 6 trout a day in rivers and streams, all species combined (2 in the Clearwater Region; only 2 of the 6 may be cutthroat in Magic Valley and Southeast region streams). Possession is 3 times the daily limit; open all year unless a special rule says otherwise.Non tidal trout waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
- Montana Central District1 a dayCentral District rivers and streams: only 1 of the 3-trout daily limit may be a cutthroat. The Yellowstone above Pine Creek Bridge is catch-and-release for cutthroat.Non tidal trout waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
- Montana Western District3 a dayWestern District lakes and reservoirs: 3 cutthroat a day and in possession, no size limit. Open all year.Non tidal waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
- Montana Western District12" maximum · 3 a dayWestern District rivers and streams: 3 cutthroat a day and in possession, none over 12". Many tributaries are catch-and-release for cutthroat. Western District rivers and streams are open the third Saturday in May (May 16 in 2026) through Nov 30 unless an exception says otherwise.Non tidal trout waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
- New Mexico non-tidal2 a dayNew Mexico: 2 cutthroat a day, 4 in possession, inside the 5-trout bag. Any trout with red slashes below the jaw counts as a cutthroat.Non tidal trout waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
- Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe17" minimum · 2 a dayPyramid Lake is managed by the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe — a tribal permit (not a Nevada license) is required, and only barbless hooks are allowed. Lahontan cutthroat trophy slot: keepers must be 17–20" or over 24"; everything under 17" and the protected 20–24" slot must be released. Daily limit 2 fish, no more than one over 24". Trout season October 1–June 30; bait is not allowed. Sacramento perch: 10 a day, all year.Non tidal waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
- Utah non-tidal4 a dayUtah statewide: 4 trout, kokanee and grayling a day combined, no statewide size limit.Non tidal waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
- Utah non-tidal4 a dayUtah statewide: 4 trout, kokanee and grayling a day combined, no statewide size limit.Non tidal trout waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
- Wyoming non-tidal3 a dayWyoming streams: 3 trout a day, only 1 over 16"; no more than 6 across streams and lakes combined. Brook trout, lake trout and splake have separate limits. Open all year.Non tidal trout waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
Rules change, and they differ by state and often by water. Each spot page shows the limits for its own water. Cutthroat trout are fished at spots in 5 states: Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming.
Waters with their own rules
These waters set limits for cutthroat trout that differ from the rest of their state.
Reports that mention cutthroat trout
2 state agencies named cutthroat trout in their latest reports, newest first, linked to the source.
19 species named: brook trout, brown trout, channel catfish, chinook salmon, coho salmon, crappie, cutthroat trout…
Read at Oregon ODFWFished in the same water
Species people target at the same spots as cutthroat trout, and how they’re doing today.
Rainbow troutOncorhynchus mykiss41 of 81 spots worth the trip
Best now at Bighorn River, MT100
Bites in 45–68° water
Brown troutSalmo trutta27 of 64 spots worth the trip
Best now at Selkirk Shores, NY100
Bites in 45–68° water
Kokanee salmonOncorhynchus nerka1 of 9 spots worth the trip
Best now at Lake Coeur d’Alene, ID72
Bites in 45–59° water