Arkansas Cutthroat Genetics

[basska]

As I have been thinking about my trip to the White River this April, I have naturally let my curiosity takeover and have restlessly researched the history of Arkansas and Trout. One thing that really has piqued my curiosity are the small populations of Cutthroat and Brook Trout in the state, and the surprising potential for trophy fish to be produced. This being said, I have found nothing on the genetics of the good ole' Arkansas Cutthroat. It's one thing I am sure there is a record of that I just haven't found yet. Trout Junkies out west go crazy for the different subspecies of Cutthroat, and I find it quite fascinating myself. There had to be a body of water or region that AGFC got their fish from, or maybe multiple? For some reason I thought I read that they were Bonneville's at one point. If I was truly into it, I should be able to figure out something by the phenotype of the fish I see in pictures, but I am not that advanced. They generally seem to be a bit tanner looking then other cutthroats I see, with more spots widespread than the average of its species. This seems to resemble most closely a Yellowstone variety.

 

Does anyone know, or have any archived information on this topic?

[BilletHead]

29 minutes ago, basska said:

 Trout Junkies out west go crazy for the different subspecies of Cutthroat, and I find it quite fascinating myself.

                 Hey Basska,

      It is not just trout junkies out West. You should start looking over the forum posts on here for more on that information. Search for the @BilletHead Trips out west and also the trips posted by @Devan S..     Native Cutthroat in their native respective ranges. As a bonus other Native fish out west also. attainable goals for anyone wanting to put in the research and travel.  Many other members on here have also made multiple trips West and can give you Insite for such things. 

             

37 minutes ago, basska said:

As I have been thinking about my trip to the White River this April, I have naturally let my curiosity takeover and have restlessly researched the history of Arkansas and Trout. One thing that really has piqued my curiosity are the small populations of Cutthroat and Brook Trout in the state, and the surprising potential for trophy fish to be produced. This being said, I have found nothing on the genetics of the good ole' Arkansas Cutthroat. It's one thing I am sure there is a record of that I just haven't found yet. Trout Junkies out west go crazy for the different subspecies of Cutthroat, and I find it quite fascinating myself. There had to be a body of water or region that AGFC got their fish from, or maybe multiple? For some reason I thought I read that they were Bonneville's at one point. If I was truly into it, I should be able to figure out something by the phenotype of the fish I see in pictures, but I am not that advanced. They generally seem to be a bit tanner looking then other cutthroats I see, with more spots widespread than the average of its species. This seems to resemble most closely a Yellowstone variety.

 

Does anyone know, or have any archived information on this topic?

             As far as the question about the Genetics for the stocker cutts on the white river. I know the fine spot (snake river) has been stocked as well as the Bonniville. Other information on the Bonniville here,

 How volunteers changed the future of trout in Arkansas rivers | Whole Hog Sports

    Fun to catch out of range and accessible to those who do not travel.    This being said never pass up a chance of going native where these species call home out West. 

 

[basska]

5 minutes ago, BilletHead said:

                 Hey Basska,

      It is not just trout junkies out West. You should start looking over the forum posts on here for more on that information. Search for the @BilletHead Trips out west and also the trips posted by @Devan S..     Native Cutthroat in their native respective ranges. As a bonus other Native fish out west also. attainable goals for anyone wanting to put in the research and travel.  Many other members on here have also made multiple trips West and can give you Insite for such things. 

             

             As far as the question about the Genetics for the stocker cutts on the white river. I know the fine spot (snake river) has been stocked as well as the Bonniville. Other information on the Bonniville here,

 How volunteers changed the future of trout in Arkansas rivers | Whole Hog Sports

    Fun to catch out of range and accessible to those who do not travel.    This being said never pass up a chance of going native where these species call home out West. 

 

Absolutely. I have a couple dream trips for Cutthroat in the upcoming years. Ideally backpacking isolated Alpine lakes in Colorado for colored up fish in the Spring. They can get pretty huge up there and they are just so beautiful when they get that full red belly. 

Just like any other trout angler, a trip to Pyramid Lake for massive Lahontans has got to be a goal. What a fishery.

Thanks for the info, I will give the link a read. 

[netboy]

Here are a couple pics to show the difference between the Snake River variety and the Bonneville variety. First one is a Bonneville, second one a Snake River.  I haven't caught a Bonneville since 2023, so they are getting pretty rare.

 

 

[basska]

11 minutes ago, netboy said:

Here are a couple pics to show the difference between the Snake River variety and the Bonneville variety. First one is a Bonneville, second one a Snake River.  I haven't caught a Bonneville since 2023, so they are getting pretty rare.

 

 

Those are two dandy fish, especially the Snake River, very healthy, very pretty. 

You definitely understand the "Fine-Spotted" designation when seeing the fish in this photo.

When were these fish caught? I noticed the Snake River fish had more color. Do you think this is spawning related or normal appearance?

[netboy]

21 minutes ago, basska said:

Those are two dandy fish, especially the Snake River, very healthy, very pretty. 

You definitely understand the "Fine-Spotted" designation when seeing the fish in this photo.

When were these fish caught? I noticed the Snake River fish had more color. Do you think this is spawning related or normal appearance?

The Snake River one was caught in May during the caddis hatch and was in its spawning color phase. The Bonneville was caught in January. My understanding is that the cutthroats spawn late spring/early summer.

[basska]

2 minutes ago, netboy said:

The Snake River one was caught in May during the caddis hatch and was in its spawning color phase. The Bonneville was caught in January. My understanding is that the cutthroats spawn late spring/early summer.

As I am going down in late April, it would be so awesome to have the welcomed surprise of a Cutt. I wonder if their spawning colors would be in effect by then.

[netboy]

I would think they should be. 

[Al Agnew]

I think that the cutthroat stocked in Arkansas come from the state fish hatchery at Mammoth Spring.  Like you, I can find nothing about what strain they originally were.  Looking at photos, they don't particularly look like any of the distinct strains from various parts of the West.  I suspect that these fish are mongrels, coming from brood stock from several different original sources and bred in the hatchery until they are like hatchery rainbows...not any particular strain.  It's interesting and perhaps telling that Arkansas Game and Fish doesn't seem to make a big deal out of which strain they came from.

I've fished a lot of the West, and have caught several different strains, including coastal, westslope, Snake River fine-spotted, Yellowstone, and Colorado cutthroats.  Interestingly, the cutthroat strain that made me a bunch of money and some notoriety, the Lahontan cutthroat, is one I've never caught.  I entered and won Nevada's first trout stamp contest with a Lahontan cutthroat, but my reference was some good photos that a friend of mine in MDC procured from somebody he knew in Nevada Fish and Game department.