This trout is usually found in clear, cool waters at elevations higher than 6,890 ft. Kern River rainbow trout were once widely distributed to the upper Kern River basin, Tulare, and Kern Counties. the Kern river rainbow trout has a complex evolutionary history and has been the subject of much debate over its origins since it was first described in 1894 as a subspecies of rainbow trout. Endemic to the Kern River and tributaries from Lake Isabella upstream to the headwaters (Tulare County). Kern River Rainbow Trout photos courtesy of Jeff Weaver Generally resembles coastal rainbow trout, but with brighter colors, a slight tinge of gold, and sometimes orange on the belly.Coloration in some areas may be influenced by natural intermixing and hybridization with the other two golden trout … Kern River rainbow trout were once abundant and widespread in the upper Kern Basin and grew to large sizes. Some tributaries have fish barriers and do not contain populations of Kern River rainbow trout above these barriers. Status Score = 1.4 out of 5.0. The Kern also features the Kern River rainbow trout, a localized subspecies found nowhere else, he said. I caught this fish in the upper Kern River. A big Rainbow caught on a pink marabou jig on the Aniak River in Alaska Rainbow Trout Tackle. Angling techniques are similar to those in other Sierra Nevada rivers and streams, for both lures and flies. Hatchery rainbow trout are also stocked and present here. CDFW recently conducted surveys throughout the watershed in search of “pure” Kern River rainbow trout. The primary threats to remaining populations are similar to those facing other endemic trout of the southern Sierra, which center on interactions with non-native trout and habitat loss from grazing, logging, and roads. Those in the main-stem Kern River have been known to reach 28 inches in length and specimens weighing up to eight pounds were reported in the early 1900s. Recreational angling is popular at Johnsondale Bridge due to the roadside nature of this portion of the river and ease of access. Once I knew where the fish where located, what they where located by, and how to catch them, I repeated that process 3 times at different location on the lake. It is found in a short section of the main stem of the Kern River and several tributaries in the southern Sierra Nevada mountains in California. The Kern River rainbow trout has a high probability of disappearing as a distinct entity in the next 50-100 years, if not sooner. This fish is thought to be an intermediate form between golden trout and rainbow trout, which are thought to have gained periodic access to the basin during the Pleistocene epoch (Behnke 2002). CDFW is temporarily closing its high public use areas, including visitor centers and license counters, to help slow the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus). After about an hour and a half of walking the shoreline using bait and lures, I was able to establish a pattern that worked for the trout. Tag: Kern River Rainbow Amateur Little Kern GT Survey. Genetic analyses revealed that trout located in the lower portion of the Kern River are highly introgressed with hatchery or coastal rainbow trout, likely from a long history of stocking this portion of the river. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the discussion and see a list of open tasks. This article is within the scope of WikiProject California, a collaborative effort to improve the coverage of the U.S. state of California on Wikipedia. Distribution and Habitat. Start This article has been rated as Start-Class on the project's quality scale. 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