Lahontan Cutthroat Trout

Sadly, dams and diversions doomed the enormous cutthroats native to Pyramid Lake in the early 20th century. The Lahontan cutts native to Lake Tahoe also went extinct about the same time, and these fish disappeared from most of the rivers in the basin.

It's still possible to catch a Lahontan cutthroat, though. Pyramid Lake, Walker Lake and other waters are regularly stocked with millions of Lahontan Cutthroats from Summit Lake, Nevada to support a recreational fishery for these often enormous trout. California Fish and Game maintains a Heritage Trout fishery for these fish on the upper Truckee River in Alpine County. They can also be found outside their native range in alkaline lakes like Lenore, in Washington.