Fish ID challenge

[Dougfirtree]

The next drainage over would have such drastically different looking brookies? I'm going with the hybrid theory, unless this turns out to be some weirdo lake where someone planted fish that shouldn't be there.

Does Colorado stock Splake at all? What's the difference in water clarity between the two drainages? Water clarity can have a big impact on fish coloration and I've caught some brookies that were ALMOST as washed out looking as yours, in very clear streams.

 

[texwest44]

Not my fish, but it's hard to believe the next drainage over happens to have such drastically different looking brookies - up to and including not having squigglies on their backs. As far as I'm concerned, if there is no squigglie, there is no brookie.

 

[ID_to_NV2012]

Brook trout have pronounce markings along their back. I'd go with splake as my guess.

 

[Pelican]

Colorado does stock splake. Female brook trout tend to have washed out colors vs. males, particularly in clear water. They get more colorful as they get closer to spawning.

 

[Flatbrimmer]

Colorado does stock splake. Female brook trout tend to have washed out colors vs. males, particularly in clear water. They get more colorful as they get closer to spawning.

So what’s the guess there?

 

[bullbugle307]

I’m used to seeing a more forked tail on splake. I don’t see that in those pics. They’re definitely bland looking, but I’d still go with brookie.

Course, when I go back and look I can kinda talk myself into the tail being a bit more forked than the obvious brookie. But I’m gonna peg that on having a fisheries degree and being afraid of being wrong.

 

[Northwoods]

When do we get to know the answer?

 

[Irrelevant]

Definitely not pure brookie. Not sure what lakers/laker hybids look like. Does look like a bull, but apparently you're way out of their range.

 

[vanish]

Not giving the answer one way or another yet, but I've caught grayling, golden trout and arctic char here in CO. Pretty sure we aren't in their range, so something to consider.

 

[Northwoods]

Dolly Varden

 

[Dougfirtree]

Not giving the answer one way or another yet, but I've caught grayling, golden trout and arctic char here in CO. Pretty sure we aren't in their range, so something to consider.

I wondered about this too. There are landlocked versions of Arctic Char in the northeast. Perhaps Colorado is stocking them?

 

[TOGIE]

i don't think those are splake or brookies from the first post.

not that i really know anyway.

 

[BirdManMike]

Colorado has stocked arctic char in the past. This could be one of those. Or it could be a pale brook trout. Doesnt look like a bull trout parr to me (which wouldve also had to have been stocked at some point OBV - no idea if Colorado has ever stocked them).

 

[bullbugle307]

Interesting, I had ruled out arctic char cause I didn’t think they stocked them in Colorado. I was pretty much thinking it had to be a splake or a brookie based on what has been stocked there.

 

[seeth07]

Can't we just call it a trout and be correct?

 

[texwest44]

No because it's a char. Get your head in the game man.