Wildlife Watching Wednesday: The Beautiful Rainbow Trout

By: Tom Berg

Trout are coldwater fish. The rainbow trout prefers water temperatures ranging between 45-65 degrees Fahrenheit, and they need cold, clean water with good oxygen levels to thrive. Although they can endure warmer water temperatures into the mid-70s, they will always seek out cooler water if it is present.

Rainbow trout are a beautiful fish, and they can be very colorful, as their name implies. Individuals living in streams are particularly colorful, with a pink or bright red stripe running along their side and cheeks along with different hues of gold, bronze and silver. They are covered with small black spots from head to tail, although their creamy white belly is usually devoid of spots.

These trout can live in streams, rivers and lakes as long as the water temperature is right. Lake Michigan and the other Great Lakes are home to rainbow trout, but these “big water” trout are typically plain silver in color for most of the year. During their annual spawning runs, however, they do become very colorful just like their stream-dwelling cousins.

Rainbow trout, like other trout and salmonids, feed on a wide variety of foods. When they are very young, the trout eat mostly aquatic insects, worms and tiny crustaceans. As they get larger, they begin eating other fish. After all, a minnow provides a lot more calories than a mosquito larvae. They still eat plenty of aquatic insects and crustaceans like freshwater shrimp, but minnows and other small fish become ever more important in their diet.

One well-known characteristic of rainbow trout is that they are tremendous jumpers. They can easily jump out of the water at least three times their body length. So a 24-inch rainbow trout can jump and clear the water by as much as six feet. Incredible! This is how wild rainbows out west jump over rapids and even low dams to reach optimal spawning habitat farther upstream.

All trout, including rainbows, have excellent eyesight. They can see a small minnow swimming in the distance, and they can even see a mosquito-sized midge or fly dimpling the surface several feet above them. The beautiful rainbow trout is an amazing creature!

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