General Information: Bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) are members of the family Salmonidae, and are char native to the Pacific northwest and western Canada, including Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, Montana and Canada. Compared to other salmonids, bull trout have more specific habitat requirements that appear to influence their distribution and abundance. They need cold water to survive, so they are seldom found in waters where temperatures exceed 59-64 degrees (F). They also require stable stream channels, clean spawning and rearing gravel, complex and diverse cover, and unblocked migratory corridors. Bull trout may be distinguished from brook trout by several characteristics: spots never appear on the dorsal (back) fin, and the spots that rest on the fish's olive green to bronze back are pale yellow, orange or salmon-colored. The bull trout's tail is not deeply forked as is the case with lake trout. Bull trout exhibit two forms: resident and migratory. Resident bull trout spend their entire lives in the same stream/creek. Migratory bull trout move to larger bodies of water to rear young and then migrate back to smaller waters to reproduce. An anadromous form of bull trout also exists in the Coastal-Puget Sound population, which spawns in rivers and streams but rears young in the ocean. Resident and juvenile bull trout prey on invertebrates and small fish. Adult migratory bull trout primarily eat fish. Resident bull trout range up to 10 inches long and migratory forms may range up to 35 inches and up to 32 pounds. Bull trout are currently listed throughout their range in the coterminous U.S. as a threatened species.

States/US Territories in which the Bull Trout, U.S.A., conterminous, lower 48 states is known to occur: California , Idaho , Montana , Nevada , Oregon , Washington

For more information including Biology, Status, and other related documents please go to ECOS.fws.gov.