Golden Rainbow Trout

A number of people have asked me exactly what a palomino or golden rainbow trout actually is. I looked it up and below is a link to the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat commission.

In short the golden rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) is raised in hatcheries for sport anglers.  These fish originate from a single mutated rainbow trout from a West Virginia hatchery in 1954.  First WVA and then PA used selective breeding to develop what we now know as the golden rainbow (GRT) or palomino trout.They were first stocked in PA streams in 1967.  They are now grown to trophy size in hatcheries and stocked throughout the state.  

Although possible, spawning in the wild is unlikely.  Golden rainbows are susceptible to predation as they are so easily spotted by herons and anglers alike.

The Golden Rainbow trout should not be confused with the golden trout (Oncorhynchus aguabonita) a native trout of California.