Rainbow Trout
(also known as Steelhead, Kamloops)
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Oncorhynchus mykiss
Rainbow trout are native to the western coastal United States and Alaska, but this species has been introduced into cold water locations throughout North America. Rainbow trout prefer cold water streams with cobble, boulders, deep pools, and overhead cover.
Rainbow trout have the typical trout-shape with an adipose fin, and a squarish tail that has black spots throughout. The rainbow trout has 10-12 anal rays and a white mouth and gums (coho and Chinook salmon, occasionally found in Lake Erie, have gray or black gums, more anal rays, and forked tails). Lake Erie steelhead are generally bright silver with a bright pink band. Males develop a hooked jaw known as a "kype" during the spawning season.
Rainbow trout average 20 to 23 inches in length. The state record rainbow weighed 20.97 pounds and measured 36.5 inches in length.