Northwest Fishing Reports

Originally being from the south and adding the fact that I never fish for trout sometimes causes me problems. What brings this question on is while fishing for smallmouth (unsuccessfully again) Saturday, my son caught a very nice 3-4 lb trout and I caught a 2 pound fish at the same time in Lake Washington going into the bay in Bellevue. Small bait fish were jumping everywhere when this happened.

Both were caught on crawdad colored crankbaits and both were gill hooked and bleeding. I wasn't going to waste them so in the oven with some lemon and salmon rub they went. I was sure they were both cutthroat but when cooked the smaller one was reddish pink and the bigger was off white/tan. Both were very tasty but now I'm not sure about the ID. It's hard looking at pictures and descriptions on the state site too.

I'd say they are more than likely cuttys. Dead giveaway will be red slash marks on the throat on either side of the gills on the throat of the fish. Hence the name "cut throat". These markings vary from bright red to dull pinkish/orange but are always visible on true cutthroat trout. Hybrid rainbow/cutts (sometimes dubbed cuttbows) often do not have these markings.

I agree with Matt, most likely cutts. Meat color can be different between two fish of the same species, it depends on feeding habits and genetics. Lake Washington cutts are easily identified by the huge mouth they have with the jaw extending past the eye. Even that 2lb fish you caught should have a mouth big enough to take a tennis ball! The bows have smaller heads and mouths and are much brighter looking in general. Take pictures and post them, we'll be happy to identify them for you! Also, please keep in mind that rainbows of 20+ inches long need to be released in this lake until July 1 rolls around.

I know people have a lot of problems with the cuttbows - there are a bunch at Coldwater Lake on the monument. They can be tough to I.D.

My interpretation of the law would be that ANY fish with the red slashes, even if they are only light/minute, can be retained as a cutthroat even if they are a cuttbow. I would just use those slashes for identification and stick with that.

The reason that you can't keep bows over 20" in lake WA and Sammamish is because they consider these to be Steelhead. Any fish with slashes on its throat of any kind will NOT be a steelhead.

Matt wrote:My interpretation of the law would be that ANY fish with the red slashes, even if they are only light/minute, can be retained as a cutthroat even if they are a cuttbow. I would just use those slashes for identification and stick with that.

The reason that you can't keep bows over 20" in lake WA and Sammamish is because they consider these to be Steelhead. Any fish with slashes on its throat of any kind will NOT be a steelhead.

it could be a blueback then?

"Blueback" as in Sockeye? No way jose, they look totally different and definitely DO NOT have red slashed on their gills....

no blueback as in searun cutts

I've not heard a sea run cutt referred to as a blueback. Blueback is what a fresh ocean caught sockeye comonly called. I know for a fact that at least some of the cutts in Lake Washington/Sammamish make their way out to the Sound from time to time. I think in one of my reports you'll find a pic of a cutt with sea lice on it. Sea run or not, they are the same fish, same markings, color etc.

Keep in mind that if you do hook into a large "kokanee" in Lake Washington you'll need to release it as any koke over 15" in length is considered a sockeye in that system.

Blue back OMG sounds like bare back..lmao..

Well a pic would have been alot better. They never mentioned anything about red on the gills or anything to show it was a cutt. He just said cutt. Ive seen alot of people say they caught cutts but they was not. There is many fish in the lake and there is alot of possibilities. I wouldnt even give it a shot at identification without seeing a pic here or a way better description of the fish.

totally agree flippin. Just doing my best with what was given.

Not only are there "a lot" of different species in that system there are a number that you CANNOT KEEP including Chinook, Sockeye/Big Kokanee, and Steelhead/Rainbows over 20"; all of which may be miss-identified by a novice salmonid identifier.