City of Logan, Cache County
In celebration of the
Bear River Cutthroat
The Bear River cutthroat trout is another native fish found in Utah’s waters, yet it has quite the unique biological history. Residents and anglers of Cache County are likely very familiar with these beautiful native trout as they inhabit many of the rivers and tributaries near Logan, such as the Logan River, Blacksmith Fork, and of course, the Bear River itself.
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Bear River cutts are known for their voracious appetites and can grow to impressive sizes when in their lake-dwelling form (which is why they can also be called Bear Lake cutthroat trout). Because of their piscivorous nature (meaning they feast on smaller fish) they are actually utilized in some of Utah’s lakes to control invasive Utah chub populations. They also have a very distinct appearance once they become lake-dwellers, getting a very silvery almost blueish body and bright orange fins. Their blueish hue is one reason they have been nicknamed “bluenose trout.”
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Though research strongly suggests these fish are their own distinct subspecies, the greater scientific community has yet to embrace the change and often lumps the Bear River subspecies together with our Bonneville cutthroat trout. This is likely because the present day Bear River terminates in the Great Salt Lake within the Bonneville Basin, making it seem like these fish would be relatives of the Bonnevilles. However, these Bear River cutthroat actually evolved on a separate path.
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Over 20,000 years ago, dynamic volcanic activity was able to reroute the original course of the Bear River. Water that used to flow northward into the Snake River, now was redirected west towards the Great Salt Lake. This means our Bear River cutthroat are actually closer related to the Yellowstone cutthroat trout native to the Snake River drainage, rather than the Bonneville cutthroat of the Bonneville Drainage. Hopefully someday these cutthroat can be officially recognized and receive their own scientific name, as they currently lack one.
Bear River Cutthroat Trout
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The Bear River Cutthroat is native to the Bear River watershed in the Bonneville basin of Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming. They are opportunistic feeders, preying on what is available.
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As recently as the late 1970s, a lack of information on the status of Cutthroat in the Bonneville basin led many to believe that both the Bonneville and Bear River Cutthroat Trout were extinct!
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Fortunately, the Bear River Cutthroat has managed to persist, but at the time of its rediscovery, they were relegated to a small fraction of their native range. The Bear River Cutthroat's decline resulted from multiple factors, including over-fishing, the introduction of nonnative fish, and habitat loss and degradation.
Interact with the Bear River Cutthroat!
Photo courtesy of Utah Cutthroat Slam
The Utah Cutthroat Slam is a challenge to catch, photograph and release at least 1 of each of Utah’s 4 cutthroat trout subspecies in their native waters. Register at their website to start the challenge!
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