![]() Rainbows prefer open runs where they tend to feed at the surface more frequently than the other two trout species. Rainbow trout are not as closely associated with streambed or benthic habitats as are brown trout nor are they prone to frequent deeply shaded habitats like brook trout. Like the brown trout, rainbows have been extensively introduced and now occur on every major continent except Antarctica. Rainbow trout are considered native in the North Pacific Ocean and associated drainages from the Amur River in eastern Asia, north along the Pacific slope including the KamchatkaPeninsula and extreme northeastern Russia and along the Pacific slope of North America from Alaska south to northern Mexico. Rainbow trout have also successfully reproduced intermittently in the North Fork Moorman's River since 1957 as the result of stocking programs downstream. The wild rainbows that inhabit Pass Run within the park are believed to have descended from hatchery stock introduced downstream during the 1950s. ![]() Rainbow trout were first liberated in stream habitats within and downstream of the park in 1943. Hatchery reared rainbows are widely stocked within streams, rivers, ponds and lakes throughout central and western Virginia. Wild rainbow trout populations within Virginia most often occur in small rocky streams in forested landscapes. Redds are typically excavated by females in gravel runs and incubation periods vary with water temperatures but are typically less than those of brook and brown trout due to increased springtime temperatures. Rainbows typically migrate upstream to spawning areas with males arriving first. Spawning is triggered by increasing day length, water flow and water temperature. Unlike brook and brown trout, wild rainbow trout (within their native range) typically spawns during the late winter and spring with peak spawning activity in March and April when water temperature are between 10 and 15☌. Maximum known longevity is 11 years but 7 year olds are typically the oldest in most populations. Maturation begins as early as one year with average survival of three to four years. The average life span of wild rainbow trout in Virginia waters is very similar to that of brook trout. Lower fins are typically pale shades of amber, orange, red, purple or gray and the anal and pelvic fins are often white tipped. ![]() The dorsal, adipose and caudal fins are light olive to amber marked with dark colored spots. Lower sides transition from silvery to white with white underside. Mid-side markings include a wide red, pink or purple band that may either be a continuous band or be broken into a blotched pattern. Back and sides are marked with dark olive to black spots. Rainbow trout are typically olive-green dorsally with brassy to purple iridescence. The current state record specimen (14 pounds, 7 ounces) was captured in Greer's Trout Pond in southwestern Virginia on June 28, 1993. As is the case with the other trout species in Virginia, the largest individual rainbow trout are typically encountered within large stream habitats, ponds and reservoirs. Occasionally larger individuals are encountered including a 19 inch rainbow captured by an angler in the North ForkThorntonRiver in 1998. Within the few park streams either inhabited by naturalized rainbow trout or where individual fish have been encountered as the result of stocking programs downstream, the sizes of individual fish typically range from 7 to 12 inches in total length. ![]() The name mykiss is a vernacular from the Russian far east where the species was first described in the late 1700s. The name Oncorhynchus means "hooked snout" in reference to the distinctly hooked upper or lower jaw of mature males. ![]() Regarded as the most widely successful of the introduced salmonids and the most widely known and recognized of the worlds trout species, rainbow trout rank among the top five most sought game fish in North America. Rainbow trout are members of the Pacific trout and salmon subgroup of the salmon family ( Salmonidae) which also includes the redband trout, cutthroat trout and golden trout. Fish and Wildlife Service and West Virginia DNR ![]()
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