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Bull Trout

Bull Trout

Bull trout in Washington are actually char, not true trout, and are federally listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act and are considered a Species of Greatest Conservation Need.

Physical Characteristics:
  • Distinguished by light-colored spots on a dark olive-green to brown background, unlike Pacific salmon which have dark spots on lighter bodies.
  • They have large heads and mouths, with the upper jaw extending past the eye, and white leading edges on their ventral fins.
  • Bull trout reach maturity at 4-7 years and can live over 12 years, with resident forms averaging 6-12 inches while migratory forms can exceed 24 inches.

What to know

Habitat Distribution

  • Washington populations are found in the Coastal Recovery Unit (including Puget Sound drainages) and Mid-Columbia Recovery Unit.
  • They inhabit cold, clean waters with complex habitat including deep pools, undercut banks, large woody debris, and boulders.
  • In Washington, they exhibit multiple life history forms: resident (remaining in small streams), fluvial (migrating between rivers and tributaries), adfluvial (spawning in streams but living in lakes/reservoirs), and uniquely in the Coastal-Puget Sound region, an anadromous form that uses saltwater.

Key Locations

  • Legal fishing areas include the Skagit, Baker, Cascade, Sauk, Suiattle, Whitechuck, Snohomish, mainstem Skykomish, Sultan, Wallace rivers, and a portion of the Lost River tributary of the Methow.
  • The Washington state record is 22.5 pounds from the Tieton River.

Specific Spots

  • Target deep pools, slow backwater areas, tailouts, log jams, boulder gardens, and areas with complex cover.
  • Bull trout often hold near the bottom of pools and along undercut banks.

Bull Trout FAQ

Answers from onWater's species guide.

What flies work for Bull Trout in Washington?

Effective patterns include Dolly Llamas in white, olive, or natural color combinations (3-6 inches), white rabbit strip leeches with cone heads, Graboid Leeches with white barred rabbit strips and red accents, sculpins, and large streamers.

How do you catch Bull Trout in Washington?

Effective techniques include swinging streamers downstream and across, stripping flies through deep pools, and dead-drifting patterns down current seams.

What do Bull Trout eat?

As aggressive predators, juveniles feed on aquatic insects (particularly ephemeropterans and dipterans) while adults are primarily piscivorous, eating sculpins, whitefish, dace, and other trout species.

Where do Bull Trout live in Washington?

Washington populations are found in the Coastal Recovery Unit (including Puget Sound drainages) and Mid-Columbia Recovery Unit. They inhabit cold, clean waters with complex habitat including deep pools, undercut banks, large woody debris, and boulders.

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