Tiger trout (Salmo trutta x Salvelinus fontinalis)

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Category: Fish

Description and Range

Physical description

The tiger trout is an artificially produced sterile hybrid that is produced from crossing a male brook trout with a female brown trout.  Hybridization can occur naturally, however it is very rare. Tiger trout have pronounced dark vermiculations (tiger stripes, like brook trout) all over a brownish, gray body.Average 10-16 inches. Tiger trout can grow up to 20 inches and five pounds in quality populations.

How to fish for tiger trout

Tiger trout can be caught year-round, although the spring (after ice-out) and fall are the best times to target them.  During those seasons, the tiger trout will normally be found in the upper water column in search of food.  As the water warms up during the summer, the trout will move to deeper, cooler water.  As the surface temperatures cool down in the evening the fish will move up near the surface and into the shallows.

Tiger trout can be successfully caught on flies, spoons, spinners, and bait.  Since tiger trout are aggressive and piscivorous (they eat other fish), a minnow imitation such as a streamer or Rapala are a good choice.  These fish can be successfully caught from shore as well as from a boat or float tube.  For shore anglers, the best time to fish is either early in the early morning or in the evening.  The fish will be paralleling the shoreline for prey as the water is cooler and the low light conditions prevent them from being detected.  They are also less wary at this time of day.  When fishing from a floating device (e.g. a boat or float tube) trolling is an effective method.  One can use pop gear with bait or lures.  Some popular lures are: Kastmasters, Triple Teasers, and Jake's Spin-a-lure. Fly fishers do well with leech, muddler, woolly bugger, and nymph patterns.  If fish are taking flies at the surface use a floating line and a dry fly or emerging pattern.  Otherwise, a sinking tip or full sinking fly line would be best with streamers and nymph patterns.

State record

Weight
27.42 lbs
Angler
Cathy Clegg
Location
Loon Lake, Stevens County
Date Caught
August 7, 2022

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