Rainbow Trout
These trout are native to the Pacific coast but have been stocked in almost every habitat across the continent. These trout are the easiest and fastest to grow. They will do well in any type of habitat, that includes small or large moving bodies of cool, fresh water, and non-moving bodies of water such as cool water ponds that contain enough oxygen. Although if you do put them in streams they may travel up or down stream the farthest of our species to find the habitat they find most desirable. They can also live in the widest types of temperature extremes. They can live in more alkaline (basic: limestone) water pH. These fish are primarily surface feeders, and have a longer life expectancy. They can grow up to 25-28 inches and can weigh over 8-12 lbs easily.
A very unique fact about the rainbow trout is that they are one of the few organisms that can live in both freshwater and saltwater. The area of where a freshwater river meets the ocean contains brackish water. This is water that is created by mixing freshwater and saltwater. The only side affect the fish seems to show is a change in its coloring. This trout must however, travel back to freshwater to spawn. However, if they are found in saltwater they can have a silver hue to them. These rainbows are then referred to as steelheads.
Rainbow trout are the iconic trout that everyone knows when they see it. This fish has a very prominent rose colored lateral line along the side of its body. They can have greenish backs and have blacks spots on their backs and sides.
Golden Rainbow Trout
This fish is a subspecies of the standard rainbow trout. It is the same type of fish but it has a skin color variation. These fish act and require pretty much all of the same requirements as the standard rainbow or steelhead. These fish on the other hand are very good at hiding, which they have to be because they are very easy to pick out of the water. Golden's have the same rose colored lateral line as the rainbow, but the rest of their body is a very yellow or golden colored. These fish also tend to feed at night because it is safer for them to come out of hiding. These fish would be an excellent choice for kids to fish for because they are easy to see.
Brown Trout
These fish are of European descent. They can handle a wide range of temperatures, and they like more basic to neutral water pH. Browns like to stay in deeper pools of water, but they do well in any trout friendly waters. They can be considered an all purpose fish for ponds or streams of any size. These trout are more territorial than rainbow trout, but they will travel to an extent. They are nocturnal feeders who like to wait for their food to sink down before they try to eat it. They are relatively disease resistant. Unfortunately they are one of the slowest growing of the trout species that we carry. They can grow up to 30 in and weigh over 8-12 lbs.
When identifying this fish they are the most plain looking. These trout are brownish in color with dark spots on a lighter background. They may or may not have some orange spots.
Brook Trout
This trout is native to Pennsylvania and is actually a member of the Char family vs. our other trout who are all Salmonids. Brook trout are more tolerent of acidic water such as mountain streams or bodies of water that have a lot of pine trees growing near them. These fish travel the least out of all the fish we have. Brooks tend to stay in the area where they were released into the water. They are great candidates for derbies because of their tendency to bite quickly. They will do just fine in limestone water too. Brook trout are most affected by higher temperatures. The prefer the colder temperatures. They are the smallest of the trout species that we carry, only growing up to 20 in.
These fish have a very distinct color pattern. Their backs have a lighter green vermiculation pattern on a darker forest-green background. They have unmistakeable white edges on their fins and strong red or orange/yellow underbellies. Brook trout have light colored spots, some of their spots may be surrounded by a blue halo.
Tiger Trout
This trout species is the result of cross fertilization of a female brown trout and a male brook trout. The tiger is unable to reproduce by its self, they can only be created. They can handle a wider variation of temperatures. Tiger trout are rarely found in the wild. Tigers are more aggressive feeders, and will fight even harder on the line than any other species of trout we carry. Tigers are best suited for ponds, because they have a strange instinct where they will turn down stream and swim for miles. This makes them a bad candidate for stream stockings.
Tiger trout can have some of the widest color variations due to their hybridization. Tigers do not have white fin edges on their front pectoral fins.