At a glance
2–8 lb.
5–100 ft in lakes.
Morning and evening.
5 areas
Know it
Spot it, size it up and learn its habits.
- Identification
A char: olive-green to gray body with pale yellow to orange spots (no black spots), a big, broad, flat head, and white leading edges on the lower fins.
- Typical size
2–8 lb.
- Maximum size
About 3 ft and over 30 lb.
- Diet
Mostly fish, especially kokanee and whitefish.
- Behavior
Needs the coldest, cleanest water; adults migrate from big lakes and rivers up into small headwater streams to spawn in fall.
Find it
Where, when and how deep to look.
- Where to find it
Found from Pacific Northwest Rivers & Lakes, Rocky Mountain Trout Rivers, British Columbia, Canadian Prairies and Yukon, NWT & Nunavut. Cold rivers and lakes of Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and Alberta, north into the Yukon.
- Habitat
Cold rivers and lakes of Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and Alberta, north into the Yukon.
- Depth
5–100 ft in lakes.
- Fishing depth
Deep runs and pools in rivers.
- Best season
Summer and fall where open.
- Best time
Morning and evening.
- Best tides
No tide — in rivers, falling water after the rainy season is best.
- Best weather / conditions
Cool, cloudy days.
Bait & gear
What to tie on and what to throw.
- Best bait
Usually not allowed in bull trout waters.
- Best artificial lures
Big streamers, spoons and jerkbaits.
- Tackle setup
7–8 weight fly rod or medium spinning rod.
- Hook size
Single barbless hooks where required.
- Line
10–15 lb.
- Leader
10–15 lb fluorocarbon.
BigJoe's setup for Bull trout
The rod, reel, line and lures BigJoe would use.
Also at Bass Pro Shops: Fly rodStreamersSpinning rodSpoonsNetBear spray
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Catch it
Step by step, from first cast to landing.
Step-by-step: how to catch it
- Go where it lives: Cold rivers and lakes of Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and Alberta, north into the Yukon.
- Rig up: 7–8 weight fly rod or medium spinning rod. 10–15 lb fluorocarbon.
- Pick your bait: Usually not allowed in bull trout waters. Lures: Big streamers, spoons and jerkbaits.
- Fish it: Swing or strip big streamers through deep runs and below riffles where kokanee and whitefish gather.
- Time it: Morning and evening. No tide — in rivers, falling water after the rainy season is best.
- Fishing techniques
Swing or strip big streamers through deep runs and below riffles where kokanee and whitefish gather.
- BigJoe's tip
'No black, put it back' — bull trout have no black spots and no black on the dorsal fin.
- Catch and release
Catch and release: wet your hands, keep the fish in the water when you can, and release it quickly. Use circle hooks and a dehooker.
Clean & cook
Is it good to eat, and how to prepare it.
- Edibility
Usually released — a sport fish more than a food fish.
- Cooking suggestions
Release it.
Stay safe & legal
Safety, rules and taking care of the fishery.
- Safety warnings
Grizzly and black bear country — carry bear spray.
- Regulations
Listed as threatened in the lower 48 U.S. states; nearly all waters are closed to harvest, and some to targeting. Canada also protects many populations. Learn to tell it from brook trout and lake trout. Licenses, limits and seasons are set by each province, territory or state, and many lakes and rivers have special size limits, slot limits or closed spawning seasons — check the current regulations for the water you fish.
- Conservation
Dams, warming water and competition from brook trout hurt bull trout across their range.
Where it's found
Tap an area to open its fishing map.