Freshwater · North Coast
Trout - Cutthroat
These notes are district-general defaults. Search your lake or stream first — special waters override these rules. Full booklet: 2026 Freshwater Guide. Catch reports: Fish data.
Species group
TROUT
Season
District general (CCR §7.00(a)) — trout / steelhead / salmon context: 1) Anadromous waters of the Klamath & Trinity systems, and those entering the ocean south of Humboldt Bay, not listed in Special Regulations: CLOSED to all fishing all year. 2) Anadromous waters tributary to Humboldt Bay and north of Humboldt Bay (except Klamath/Trinity systems and named Special Regulations waters): Fourth Saturday in May through Oct. 31. Lakes & reservoirs (unless named in Special Regulations): generally open all year under statewide inland trout rules — verify in the freshwater guide. IMPORTANT: If your lake, river, or stream is named in the Alphabetical List of Waters with Special Fishing Regulations (2026 Freshwater Sport Fishing Guide), those special rules override this district default.
Season notes
Hatchery trout/steelhead = healed adipose fin clip (adipose absent). Unless otherwise provided, wild trout/steelhead must be released immediately.
Daily bag limit
Anadromous waters open under §7.00(a)(2): 2 hatchery trout or hatchery steelhead per day; 4 in possession. Closed to the take of salmon unless a Special Regulation says otherwise. Typical lakes/reservoirs (if not listed specially): 5 trout per day / 10 in possession — confirm statewide §5.85 and any special water listing. IMPORTANT: If your lake, river, or stream is named in the Alphabetical List of Waters with Special Fishing Regulations (2026 Freshwater Sport Fishing Guide), those special rules override this district default.
Minimum size
See district / special-water rules. Cutthroat and other species may have separate size limits on named waters.
Gear restrictions
On §7.00(a)(2) anadromous waters: only artificial lures with barbless hooks. Always check Special Regulations and low-flow closures for named waters.
Identification
Throughout their native and introduced ranges, cutthroat trout vary widely in size, coloration and habitat selection. Their coloration can range from golden to gray to green on the back. Cutthroat trout can generally be distinguished from rainbow trout by the presence of basibranchial teeth at the base of tongue and a maxillary that extends beyond the posterior edge of the eye. Depending on subspecies, strain and habitat, most have distinctive red, pink, or orange linear marks along the underside of their mandibles in the lower folds of the gill plates. These markings are responsible for the common name cutthroat, first given to the trout by outdoor writer Charles Hallock in an 1884 article in The American Angler.