Plate IV
Rainbow trout
Oncorhynchus mykiss
The rainbow trout is a lively, hard-fighting salmonid that was only introduced from North America from around 1880 onwards. It tolerates warmth and low oxygen better than the native brown trout and likes to hold in open current in the Franconian Saale – in deep channels, back eddies and the foaming water below weirs. In the cooler, oxygen-rich stretches it is found mainly thanks to stocking.
How to identify it
Small black spots extend right into the tail fin, accompanied by a pink to reddish iridescent band along the flanks. There are no red spots on the body.
Look-alikes
Mainly confused with the brown trout, which bears red spots (often with a pale halo) on the body and has an almost unspotted tail fin. Rule of thumb: spots reaching into the tail fin plus a pink band mean rainbow trout, while red spots on the body mean brown trout.
Tip
It can be caught in many ways with spinner, fly or natural bait and, as a tender, low-fat and low-bone food fish, is excellent for frying, grilling or smoking.
This profile is provided without guarantee; biological details and especially closed season / minimum size must be checked against the current AVBayFiG and your permit before relying on them. Rules & closed seasons.