Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) is a saltwater, freshwater, brackish species recorded in the United States. It is found at depths of 0–200 m.
Scientific name: Oncorhynchus mykiss · Water: Saltwater, Freshwater, Brackish
Size: up to 123 cm
Weight: up to 9 kg
The rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) is a salmonid native to the cold-water tributaries of the Pacific coast of North America and Asia, generally blue-green or olive green with heavy black spotting; its anadromous, sea-run form is the steelhead, which is the official state fish of Washington. Residents spawn in early to late spring, with a maximum recorded lifespan of 11 years, and resident freshwater stream adults average 0.5–2.5 kg while lake-dwelling and anadromous forms may reach 9 kg. Wild-caught and hatchery-reared rainbow trout have been transplanted and introduced for food or sport in at least 45 countries, and in the United States it is one of the most widely stocked and most heavily pursued sport fish, fished with flies, spinners and bait in cold rivers, tailwaters and lakes, while steelhead anglers target the sea-run fish in Pacific coast rivers. Americans call the resident form rainbow trout and the anadromous form steelhead.
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