Which Trout are Native to the Rockies?

Anyone that has spent time in or around the Rocky Mountains has probably seen fish in the streams, rivers, lakes, and ponds.  Some of you have probably even tried fishing for them at some point.  Well, a lot of those fish are trout.

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Brown Trout – Not native

Fishermen love trout because they are challenging to catch and they put up a good fight if you actually have one on the line.

But, did you know that a lot of those trout in the water in the Rockies are not actually from the Rockies?  There are many different kinds of trout that live in the Rockies and most of them were originally put there by people. Continue reading

Where are the Fish in Winter?

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Snow covered Rocky Mountains in winter

Last week I went for a walk in the Rocky Mountains on a snowy trail that wandered through some evergreen trees and ended up at an ice covered lake.  The ice was thick enough for me to run on, although it was hard because every time I tried to slow down or turn I slipped and fell down.

The funny thing is, I remember hiking to that same lake in the Rockies during the summer and watching my owner catch fish.  He must have caught ten trout in that lake and a couple more in the stream that leaves the lake on the way up the valley.  But, now I see nothing except ice and snow.

It makes me wonder where are all of the fish?  Here comes another fun nature fact. Continue reading

Common Fish of the Rocky Mountains

Fish live throughout the world in salt water oceans and fresh water lakes, and rivers.  It is estimated that there are about 30,000 different kinds of fish in the world.  The rivers and lakes of the Rocky Mountains provide home to many different kinds of fish, including several different types of trout. Some of those fish are native to the area, but others are invasive (meaning that at some point they were put there).

Here are some of the common fish in the Rocky Mountains: Continue reading