A lightning trout is a golden yellow, red accented rainbow, a genetic mutation first bred on the East Coast in 1954 and originally called the golden rainbow. It is not an albino. California plants sterilized, trophy sized lightning trout, like the Mount Lassen Hatchery fish stocked at Collins Lake. They grow fast, fight hard, and eat great. To catch them, go small and bright. Troll a Junior Trigger Spoon or a bright Trix Worm with an action disc at 1.5 to 2 mph, or fish bright PowerBait.
What is a lightning trout?
A lightning trout is a genetic mutation of the rainbow trout, first documented in 1954 on the East Coast and originally called the golden rainbow. It is not an albino. Hatcheries identified the mutation and learned to breed for it. In the water there is no mistaking one, they are golden yellow with red accents and absolutely beautiful.
Why is a lightning trout called a golden rainbow?
Because that was its first name. When these fish appeared as a hatchery mutation they were stocked as golden rainbows before the lightning trout name caught on. They are a color mutation, not a separate wild species. The lightning trout planted in California are sterilized and have never been documented spawning in the wild.
Where can you catch lightning trout in California?
Lightning trout have been stocked at Collins Lake, using trophy sized fish from the Mount Lassen Hatchery, and anglers also target them at lakes like Amador and Camanche. Because lakes stock them at trophy size, expect fish in the 8 to 10 pound class. Back east a 6 pounder is common and around 11 pounds is huge.
What is the best lure for lightning trout?
Go small, slim, and bright. Cal trolls a bright Trix Worm teamed with a Trigger Disc at 1.5 to 2 mph, and an orange Junior Trigger Spoon at about 1.8 mph. A small orange Metal Head fly rounds out the spread. Lightning trout prefer a compact package.
What bait works for lightning trout?
Bait anglers do well with power eggs and small PowerBait balls. Stick to the bright stuff, pinks, oranges, and chartreuse, or go with white. Lightning trout are biters that tend to favor smaller offerings, so keep the bait ball modest rather than oversized.
What color and size should I use for lightning trout?
Bright colors and small profiles. Pink, orange, chartreuse, and white are the go to colors, on slim compact lures and small baits. Anglers back east and in California who target lightning trout consistently find that downsizing to a compact, brightly colored offering out produces bigger lures.
Do lightning trout make good eating?
Yes, they are top notch table fare. The meat runs pink to bright red and looks a lot like salmon. Cal filleted a lightning trout from Collins Lake, from the Mount Lassen Hatchery strain, and the flesh cleaned up bright orange, ready to eat well.
Why are lightning trout harder to keep in a lake?
Their bright color makes them easy targets. A lightning trout has none of the camouflage a normal rainbow has, so ospreys, eagles, and other visual predators pick them off quickly. That gives them a higher mortality rate than an ordinary planted rainbow.
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Catching lightning trout FAQ
No. A lightning trout is a genetic color mutation of the rainbow trout, bred as a golden rainbow. It is not an albino, and hatcheries select and breed for the mutation.
California stocks them at trophy size, often 8 to 10 pounds. Back east a 6 pound lightning trout is common and around 11 pounds is huge. They grow very quickly and fight hard.
Cal trolls Trix Worms with an action disc at 1.5 to 2 mph and runs an orange Junior Trigger Spoon at about 1.8 mph. Keep it slow with small, bright, compact lures.
Bright colors work best. Use pink, orange, or chartreuse power eggs and PowerBait balls, or fall back on white. Keep the offering small.
The lightning trout planted in California are sterilized, so they do not reproduce. Even where fertile, they have never been documented spawning in the wild.
The meat runs from pink to bright red or orange and looks a lot like salmon. Everyone Cal has talked to rates it as top quality table fare.
The ones Cal fishes come from the Mount Lassen Hatchery and have been stocked at lakes like Collins Lake as trophy sized fish.
Lightning trout prefer smaller, slim, compact offerings. Anglers who target them, both back east and in California, do best when they downsize to a bright, compact lure or bait.
