Angler Brian Strang landed this gorgeous cutthroat last year on Pyramid Lake.
Photo by Brian La Rue, Orvis Reno
The Lahontan cutthroat (Oncorhynchus clarki henshawi) is the largest growing trout native to North America, with early settlers around Nevada’s Pyramid Lake reporting fish up to 60 pounds. The current world record is a 41-pounder landed in 1925. Lahontans were an important food source for the Paiute tribe, but when white settlers arrived in the Great Basin in the mid 1800’s, the fish were vastly overharvested, with thousands of pounds being shipped across the West. By 1943, the Pyramid Lake population had been extirpated. However, recent developments suggest that the Lahontan giants of the big lake are on their way back. The Lahontan is also one of the subspecies of cutthroats that make up the Nevada Fish Slam and the Western Native Trout Challenge.
Range and Life History
Lahontan cutthroats are native to the tributaries of what was once Lake Lahontan—a huge ice-age lake, of which Pyramid Lake and Lake Tahoe are remnants, in northwestern Nevada and extending into northeastern California and southern Oregon. These native waters include the drainages of the Truckee, Humboldt, Carson, Walker, and Quinn Rivers, as well as a number of smaller streams. The species now inhabits a fraction of its former range, and both stocking and hybridization with other trout species have blurred the boundaries. For instance, Because it tolerates water too alkaline for other trout, Lahontan cutthroats are stocked in alkaline lakes outside its native range, including Lake Lenore in central Washington and Lake Mann in Oregon.
The native range of the Lahontan cutthroat.
Photo via nativetroutflyfishing.com
The Pyramid Lake population was historically supported by fish hatcheries that raise strains from Summit Lake and Lake Heenan, but these fish do not grow as large as those fish native to the big lakes. However, in the past decade, stocking of Pilot Peak Lahontans—believed to be genetically identical to the strain once thought extinct—seems to have been successful, which shows that the giant fish are making a comeback.
Lahontan cutthroats in lakes evolved into a large, long-lived species by feeding on baitfish such as tui chubs and suckers—some up to 16 inches long. The stream-dwelling populations adapted to a more standard trout diet of smaller fish and insects and therefore are not as large. Some experts believe that the Humboldt River population represents a separate subspecies.
As obligate stream spawners, Lahontans generally migrate from lakes between April and July, depending on flow and water temperature, although some historic fall spawning runs have been documented. A significant percentage of spawning fish die in the process, while the rest may spawn again. Protection of their spawning habitat, once cut off by dams or degraded by poor grazing practices will be a key to future survival.
Man-Made Disaster
Lahontan cutthroats suffered virtually every indignity that man could throw at them, resulting in huge population crashes throughout the range. According to the USFWS, there were 11 lakes and 400 to 600 streams inhabited by Lahontans in 1844—numbers that have been reduced to five lakes and fewer than 130 streams. Aside from overharvesting and extreme habitat degradation, the Truckee River—the main spawning location—was dammed; Lake trout, brook trout, and rainbow trout were introduced to Lahontan waters; irrigation systems dewatered streams and lakes, and poor grazing practices led to the deterioration of stream habitat. Lahontan cutthroats were classified as an endangered species in 1970, although they were later reclassified as “threatened.”
An Unexpected Success
In the 1970s, the Paiute Tribe opened a hatchery and began stocking Pyramid Lake with Summit Lake strain Lahontans. This developed into a fine fishery, but the fish did not grow as large as the native strain once had. In the late ’70s, a biologist discovered remnants of the thought-to-be-extinct Pyramid strain in a tiny creek near Pilot Peak, on the border of Nevada and Utah. In 1995, USFWS biologists first harvested eggs from Pilot Peak and began rearing the fish in a local hatchery. Then, in 2006, they began stocking this strain in the big lake. Monster catches in the last couple of years point to the success of this project. Once nearly unheard of, angler catches of fish greater than 20 pounds have become relatively common.
Techniques and Flies
The Pyramid Lake fishery is famous for anglers’ unique method of using stepladders or modified high-rise chairs as casting platforms. In general, the fish patrol a series of drop-offs just offshore, often out of casting range for a wading angler. To achieve that extra distance—as well as to get their butts out of the chilly water—anglers hit upon the idea of using stepladders as casting platforms in the 1970s. The extra height is especially helpful for fly fishermen because it keeps the backcast from hitting the water, allowing for much longer casts.
The best fishing on Pyramid is March and April, but anglers start working the shallows on October first and fish right through the winter. Many anglers use a 200- to 300-gram shooting head to make long casts and get their flies down quickly. A tandem rig with a Woolly Bugger and a Popcorn Beetle is a popular setup, as well as a balanced leech or midge suspended below a strike indicator.
For more information, visit the Lahontan cutthroat page on Native Trout Fly Fishing.
are boats allowed on this lake? always wondered about the ladder deal there
Yes boats allowed … Ladders work great…
Yes. However you must be a tribal permit and boats must stay 250 feet away from shore fisherman so it is very rarely advantageous to take a boat out. All the weather flips non stop and the lake can go from no wind to 40 + mph in minutes.
Lol. Tell that to the boat guys hammering big fish when the shore anglers aren’t catching anything…
I could be incorrect but Pilot Peak is on the other side of Nevada, next to Utah over by West Wendover and the Bonneville salt flats.
You are correct. They were found up on Pilot Peak, probably from an earlier stocking and not even in the former range of Lahontans, the result of many earlier stockings that used the Pyramid Lake fish.
You are right, James. Thanks for the correction.
Your article says, “As obligate stream spawners, Lahontan’s generally migrate from lakes between April and July, depending on flow and water temperature, although some fall spawning runs have been observed.” Do you have any more information on the fall spawning populations? I heard some years ago that some fall LCT spawners came into a spawning channel at Pyramid Lake. Is this true? If so, wouldn’t those fish be a good choice for introducing into the Truckee River upstream, since they would not cross with spring-spawning rainbow trout?
Some LCT were found spawning in the lower stretches of the Truckee in the last several years. There is work being done now to get them around the lower dams and eventually allow access to the whole river. I wrote a piece for my website (https://www.onlyonflies.com/the-lahontan-cutthroat-story). There is no doubt that the LCT story borders on miraculous…much as the story of the Paiute trout story does.
Your right. In the early 1900’s there was a train load of Lahontans being transported back east by the US Biological Survey. The train stalled at Wendover. While trying to decide what to do with the fish before they died, a local rancher said he had some ponds where they could put the cutthroats. The trout were placed in the ponds in the Pilot mountains and forgot about. In the 1970’s a member of the ranchers family took one of the trout to Utah fisheries staff to find out what type of trout they had on the ranch. They discovered the fish was pure strain Lahontans – the rest is history.
The information I have from my research into the Lahontan says that the noted fish biologist Robert Behnke was responsible for finding the LCT and identifying it but was unable to positively identify it until the early 2000’s with the help of genetic testing done at the University of Nevada Reno.
Don Duff (USFS) and Dr. Robert Behnke (CSU) are credited for discovering the original strain of Pyramind Lake Lahontons on Pilot Peak.
Hi Joe, thanks for the correction. I discovered the LCT in 1975 in a small stream on Pilot Peak. Fish came from, probably, train stop at Lucin, UT on Intercontinental Railroad during period from late 1880’s t0 1900’s according to research Doc Benke and I did. Doc Behnke confirmed the LCT purity from a fish sample I had sent him. We worked with local landowner, Steve Doudy, to build 3 brood ponds on his land and with help of Steve, Bryce Nielsen UDWR & Trout Unlimited, we propagated the LCT that US FWS then used to get eggs for their Gardnerville, NV hatchery.
Don Duff, Fisheries biologist (Retired)
Thanks Don for providing the (FACTS) on how the Pilot LCT discovery evolved. I purchased my Pilot property in May of 1983 with the dream of building a stone house in a remote area. In the process I developed a water system with a pond. Bryce Nielsen (UDWR) was looking for a home for the LCT and approached me about starting a brood stock in the pond. The test was doing well, so Bryce employed me to build a 2nd pond. Again we had very good results. The broods were growing in size and had many more eggs. At this point Bryce got LNFH involved and I built my 3rd pond. I am so grateful to have been a part of this project and future plans for me are in the works. email, happyfishman1@hotmail.com
The article I read was from a college biology student completing his thesus that discovered them. He interviewed a oldtimer that had stocked the local waters for the state. He said I didn’t stock that creek because it already had trout in it. When they made the identifacation of the species they started hatchery programs for re-introduction to there home waters. I heard that the PilotPeak fire wiped out the creek and it was restocked.
How long are they when born
Yes James you are right you can eat the fish
Lake Tahoe should be the target of reintroduction . Focus on year round streams coming into the lake maybe a stream keeper system using local residents and clubs to place and manage “egg boxes” .
The problem with Lake Tahoe is similar to Yellowstone lake, Lake Trout. Also rainbows, and browns. Man has done a lot of damage to Lake Tahoe and it takes great effort to keep it the beautiful clean lake that it is.
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I fish Omak lake and Lenore lake in Washington ; however, I never see any small fry in the lake – do the young fish have to be a certain size before they accept Alkaline water ?
Also, did Don Duff ever do research on the Lahontan Cutthroat in Washington STATE – IN PARTICULAR AT Deception PASS, NEAR MT VERNON?