Paiute Cutthroat
Found only in Silver King Creek in the White Mountain Range of California, the Paiute cutthroat trout has the smallest historic range of any trout in North America. Roughly eight to ten thousand years ago, Paiutes were isolated from their Lahontan cutthroat relatives in the Carson River basin.
The separation resulted after a number of insurmontable water falls formed withing the Silver King Creek. Sheep herders introduced Paiutes to the water above Llewellyn Falls, in 1912. And today, thanks to the natural barriers that exist, a robust population of Paiute cutthroat trout exists above these falls and three tributaries - Fly Valley, Four Mile Canyon, and Bull Creeks. Paiute cutthroat also inhabit two tributaries below the falls - Coyote Valley Creek and Corral Valley Creeks.
Identifying Paiute Cutthroat
Paiute cutthroat trout are distinguished by their almost complete lack of body spotting and iridescent purplish hue body coloration. It is the only western trout that consistently has no obvious spots on the body. Paiute trout have no body spots, but do have parr marks, which are occasionally seen even on adult fish. Parr marks are oval or oblong markings along the side of the body of most trout.
