You may know the Colorado state flower (blue columbine) and the state bird (lark bunting), but what’s the Colorado state fish? As one of the three native species of cutthroats found in Colorado, the greenback cutthroat trout was chosen as our state fish in 1994. Historically, the greenback cutthroat trout occupied waters in the foothills and mountain areas of the Arkansas and Platte River drainages in Colorado and Wyoming.
Like other cutthroat species, the greenback can be identified by the blood red markings on either side of the lower jaw. This crimson color extends to the gill covers and along the belly in male fish during the late spring to mid-summer spawn. Dark round spots found on the sides and tail of the greenback are somewhat larger than those of other cutthroat species.
The range of this once wide-spread native fish has dwindled to about five percent of its former range because of competition with non-native species like rainbow, brook, and brown trout. Overfishing, pollution, and loss of high-quality stream habitats have also contributed to this reduction of range. As a result, greenbacks are now listed as a threatened species, both federally and in Colorado.
As part of an interagency recovery plan, the Colorado Division of Wildlife, the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Rocky Mountain National Park are working with private organizations like Trout Unlimited to improve stream habitats and restock the greenback cutthroat trout in parts of its native waters. Given its threatened status and designation as the state fish, catching a glimpse of a greenback cutthroat trout can be especially rewarding. Today, there are only about 20 stable populations of greenbacks in Colorado, located mostly in cold, gravel-bottom streams, and high mountain lakes.
Because of its status as a threatened species, greenback cutthroat trout can only be fished for on a catch-and-release basis.