Bonneville Cutthroat Trout

There are at least 261 isolated populations of Bonneville cutthroats in Utah and more in Idaho, Wyoming, and Nevada.

Bear Lake is home to the Bear Lake cutthroat, a very hardy variety of Bonneville cutthroat that has a brilliant blue color on the top of its head. They have survived there in spite of the intensive stocking of rainbow trout over many decades, a testimony to their adaptation to this lake.

Try any headwater stream around the Bonneville Basin and you may have some luck. Some possibilities include headwaters of the Virgin River like Leed's Creek, the headwaters of the Bear River, Beaver Creek, the headwaters of the Logan River, and in Great Basin National Park. The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources is also trying to restore these fish to Swan Creek, which drains into Bear Lake. Check out TU's CSI map for more ideas.