Help Save Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout by Catching Lake Trout

Biologist have been watching the number of Yellowstone Cutthroat trout decrease for years, but each year the numbers are more alarming.

Yellowstone Cutthroat trout are a subspecies of Cutthroat trout and are native to Yellowstone Lake (where they get their name). Originally, they were found throughout northwest of Wyoming and sub-central Montana, but today 91% of the remaining trout are found in Yellowstone Lake and River.

Like other threatened trout species, hybridization and competition pose the biggest threat to Yellowstone Cutthroat trout - and Lake trout are believed to the major the culprit threatening the survival of these native Cutthroat trout.

Lake trout are not native to their area. They were first discovered in Yellowstone in 1994, although some believe they may have been there since 1989. Who brought them there is unknown - but authorities do believe that somebody planted Lake trout in Yellowstone illegally.

Despite the state's efforts to control Lake trout populations, these trout continue to populate at a high rate and thrive. This story offers further evidence of what can happen when non-native trout are introduced in other water systems, and why it can be a bad thing.

For more information about the problem and recovery effort for Yellowstone Cutthroat, click here.