Freshwater · Sierra
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(b)): 1) All rivers and associated tributaries above Lake Shasta: closed to the take of salmon. 2) Anadromous waters of Tehama and Shasta counties not listed in Special Regulations: Last Saturday in Apr. through Nov. 15; artificial lures with barbless hooks; closed to salmon. Many Sierra lakes/streams use seasonal openings (often Sat. preceding Memorial Day through Sep. 30 or similar) when listed in Special Regulations §7.50 — look up your water. Unlisted lakes/reservoirs: generally follow statewide inland trout seasons/bags — verify in the 2026 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
§7.00(b)(2) anadromous waters: 2 hatchery trout or hatchery steelhead per day; 4 in possession. Many Sierra special waters: 5 trout (or 0 trout / artificial only) — the alphabetical list controls. 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 special-water listing; some east-side waters have minimum length rules.
Gear restrictions
§7.00(b)(2): artificial lures with barbless hooks. Special waters often require artificial lures / barbless hooks — check the listing. Sierra/North Coast bait-fish restrictions may also apply.
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.