Rainbow / Steelhead Trout
The Rainbow Trout feature a silver body with many small dark spots, with radiating rows of spots over their tail. Their mouth and gums are often white, and there’s a pink lateral stripe often present. The Great Lakes Rainbow Trout is usually larger; while the inland lakes Rainbow Trout usually has a more prominent pink stripe. They grow between 20 cm – 60 cm, and weigh anywhere between 0.5 – 6.8 kilograms. The Ontario record for largest Rainbow Trout is 18.5 kilograms.
These fish were introduced into the Great Lakes from the Pacific Coast, and were widely distributed in the Great Lakes and their tributaries, and in some inland lakes. The Rainbow Trout or Steelhead Trout like cold streams, some warm streams. They enjoy swift, turbulent water, and can live in a range of conditions in rivers, ponds, and lakes.
