Several lakes in the Winds still produce goldens that reach or exceed the magical 5-pound mark. Driving through Pinedale, a small town nestled at the base of this majestic mountain range, we spotted the local fly shop. Trout for Sale - Cody Wyoming Trout Ranch Our professional guides are Wilderness Advanced First Aid certified, CPR certified, & have 15+ years of outdoor experience. Increase The Number Of Cliffs On Your Island. A lot of anglers make a trek to the Winds, at least once in their lives, looking for golden trout. Golden Trout in the Wind River Range. The golden trout is also related closely to two rainbow trout subspecies. Most anglers looking to bag a golden trout head to Wyoming or California (though Montana and Idaho boast good populations as well). These are the Kern River rainbow trout, which is found in the Kern River system and the Little Kern golden trout, which is found in the Little Kern River Basin.These three trout are referred to sometimes as the golden trout complex.. The Wyoming Game & Fish Department state record golden trout measured 28 in (71 cm) and weighed 11.25 lb (5.10 kg), caught in Cook Lake, Wyoming in 1948. The IGFA "All-Tackle Length Record" for O. m. aguabonita measured 21 in (53 cm) caught in Golden Lake, Wyoming in 2012. Thread starter mcnerney; Start date Sep 27, 2018; mcnerney Administrator. In Montana, that's not terribly difficult through the MFISH database. I began researching golden trout, and I learned it was native to the Sierras in California. Many of these lakes proved ideal for golden trout, with Cook Lake producing a world record fish in 1948. Not true. Golden Trout and Blisters, a Return Trip to the Wind River Range of Wyoming Part 2 . Mitchell, who opened the Wind River Range in western Wyoming to fishermen, would pack trout by horse into many high lakes that had been previously devoid of fish. California golden trout have been widely distributed outside their native range, mostly in high elevation lakes and streams in the Sierra Nevada. Take a look at my recent trip report to the Winds and note the color of the fillets from the trout we ate. “There it is!” my buddy yelled, and with time to kill that evening, we hurried in. In 2012, about 13,000 one-inch golden trout were aerial stocked in the three lakes in the Atwood Creek Drainage and in 2013-2014, more than 11,000 five to six-inch golden trout were stocked in Echo Lake. In fact, much of the South Fork of the Kern River is only accessible to the dedicated outdoorsmen who are willing to ride in by horseback. Most of the fish were golden trout, which are not native. This trout is usually found in clear, cool waters at elevations higher than 6,890 ft. Almost too easy. Learn to fly fish in Dubois, WY with Wind River Flyfitter. Though this species of fish hasn't been stocked here since the 1990s, they still thrive in certain lakes - especially on the west side of the range. All lakes, unless indicated otherwise:. Like Cottonwood Lakes, the portion of the Kern River where golden trout can be found is extremely tricky to get to. The golden trout is native only to the upper Kern River basin in Tulare and Kern Counties, California. Katie Burgert 12 Sep 2019 Reply. They have plenty of food and can be very picky, especially in the summer months. Despite its limited distribution, there are two recognized subspecies of golden trout. For Utah anglers, though, all it takes is a trip to our backyard. The largest Golden on record is an 11-pound, 4-ounce fish that Where To Catch Golden Trout. What you may not know is that the golden trout was also stocked in Colorado back in the 70s and 80s. The largest Golden Trout are located in high mountain lakes of Wyoming and Montana, but there are also fish in Utah and Idaho. While the trout are primarily stocked in backcountry lakes by helicopter, some of the leftover broodfish has been stocked in more easily accessible waters allowing more anglers to have a shot at landing a Golden trout. Some popular destinations are Lightning Lake, Cave Lake, the Hidden Lakes (Gallatin Range) and the Golden Trout Lakes. Currently, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department manages over 133 alpine lakes holding golden trout, with the highest concentrations found in the Wind River Range. Golden Trout in the Wind River Range, Wyoming. A few of the Snowy Range lakes were once known for their golden trout. Trout in combination (includes brown, cutthroat, grayling, golden, rainbow, salmon, splake, tiger trout, and other trout hybrids).Excludes brook trout and lake trout. "We've put golden trout in Shelf Lakes 1 & 2 and Bear Lake the last couple of stockings," explained Snigg. The land mass is huge here, spanning over half a million acres. Golden Trout, Wyoming - 2010 rainy ridge After catching Golden Trout in Alberta the last few years I decided it would be great to go on an adventure in the Wind River Range of the Bridger wilderness in Wyoming to catch some a little bigger. Taxonomy. This fish has golden flanks with red horizontal bands on each side. Fantastic tenkara fishing. Wyoming's record 11-pound golden trout was hooked here at Cook Lakes in 1948. However…. Teton Wilderness is a little less known than some of the bigger locations, but it's still a great place to find cutthroat and lake trout. I spent a couple of hours catching trout-after-trout at this unnamed lake, which I’m calling 10594 by the elevation I mapped it at. Offering guided trips, casting instruction, a complete line of gear and fly tying materials and the best fly selection around. The golden trout’s scientific identity has been somewhat debated over the years. Here, you will find golden trout that are quite large, as well as rainbow, brook, and cutthroat trout. Golden trout are native to California but have been introduced in alpine lakes in Wyoming. Current Regulations: Statewide Trout/Salmon/Grayling limit: 4 fish (in the aggregate) six (6) All streams, unless indicated otherwise: Three (3) No more than one (1) trout shall exceed sixteen (16) inches. Golden Trout (Oncorhynchus aguabonita). In Spring and Fall they are less picky. We have Eight (8) different trout species available for your lake, pond or stream - Brook, Brown, Golden, Rainbow, Kamloops Rainbow, Snake Rver Cutthroat, Yellowstone Cutthroat and Tiger Trout. It is most likely found at elevations 10,000 feet above sea level. In Wyoming, however, they don't offer stocking records on their website. In contrast, California goldens typically measure between 6 and 14 inches in their native Sierra Nevada range. The Golden Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss aguabonita) is a subspecies of the Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). This … They were also transplanted to numerous lakes in the Wind River Range in Wyoming. The 8-inch trout being stocked at Pole Mountain come from a hatchery in the Sheridan area. Angling Tips: Golden trout are readily caught with spinning, bait, and fly-fishing gear. One of which is it was the second adventure with a bunch of friends from my fishing website: Colorado Mountain Fishing that was published in a national fishing magazine, The Drake. For example, the International Game Fish Assn. The Golden Trout is a fish which only inhabits bodies of water found on top of cliffs. The first challenge in catching golden trout is determining which lakes hold them. Scuds are the ticket with Golden trout in high alpine lakes. Fish species found here include cutthroat trout, brook, rainbow, and notoriously big golden trout. The big myth about Golden Trout is that you have to go on some backbreaking hike to 11,000 ft to catch a Golden Trout. This trout spawns in spring or early summer. Creel and Possession Limits. Submitted by Eric Kol on Sun, 10/30/2016 - 15:02. Wyoming Wind River Range is the #1 spot for Goldens without question. Golden trout in lakes are a completely different story. lists as the all-tackle world record an 11-pound golden trout caught at Cooks Lake, Wyoming, in 1948. It is also known by the name California Golden Trout and is native to Golden Trout Creek, Volcano Creek and the South Fork Kern River in California. Located just 50 miles from the East Entrance of Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming Trout Guides Fly Shop is your Cody, Wyoming fly fishing headquarters! Sep 27, 2018 #1 The Wyoming Game and Fish published a map showing the lakes in the Wind River Range that contain Golden Trout. Wyoming's record golden trout, which is also the current world record (an 11-pounder measuring 28 inches), was caught at Cook Lake in 1948. This monster was 28 inches long and weighed more than 11 pounds. In 1948, the world record golden was caught in what is now one of the most popular backcountry lakes … Titcomb Basin (driving directions and hiking map), in the heart of the Winds, is already the kind of place that backpackers dream about.Head to Elbow Lake, a granite-ringed tarn at the end of an 18-mile trek from Elkhart trailhead. The goldens disappeared when a viable stocking source couldn't be found, but that has changed in recent years. This … for example, the International Game fish Assn Eric Kol on Sun, 10/30/2016 15:02. High elevation lakes and streams in the summer months tying materials and the golden trout native! 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