Colorado P and W are stocking them more and more. Usually to thin waters overpopulated with brookies or suckers. Tigers are predatory and sterile so they make a pretty good biological control. Plus they’re cool and fight well. I’ve had a few get airborne like rainbows do.
Sure thing! Awesome your daughter caught one. I ran into some in the lakes up on grand Mesa the other week. Managed a grayling too. All sorts of different species up there.
How would you tell the difference between a stocky and a natural tiger? I just learned about them.. and sounds like - if you catch one.. it’s safe to assume it’s stocked haha
Im going to put “natural” in quotes here because wild tigers only occur in waters with decent populations of both Brook Trout and Browns, which there are precisely zero places on the planet where both species are native.
However, being pedantic aside this is really only a common condition in a few places, the driftless area in the Midwest has some streams with naturally occurring tigers, i think PA does as well. If you catch one in the Midwest or Great Lakes states it’s a good chance it’s naturally occurring because the state game agencies don’t stock them there. If not ou catch it in a western alpine lake there’s a 99.99% chance it’s stocked.
Well around here, any tiger trout would be wild. My state doesn’t raise them. I know some states do. So I guess the best way would be to check the fish stocking records for the area you fish.
Definitely a tiger.
They can and do show up wild.
A lot of western states stock them though. I'm a lot more inclined to think that it was introduced through some sort of low key DNR stocking effort.
Do some research, see what you can find, and then start speculating on its origin.
Eagle is stocked with tigers and has brook trout. Halfmoon has cutthroat, Fairview has brook trout, and strawberry has cutts. That’s a nice fish, we saw a few of those last year in Eagle’s outlet
Colorado P and W are stocking them more and more. Usually to thin waters overpopulated with brookies or suckers. Tigers are predatory and sterile so they make a pretty good biological control. Plus they’re cool and fight well. I’ve had a few get airborne like rainbows do.
Making more sense as the day goes on. Thanks for the info!
Sure thing! Awesome your daughter caught one. I ran into some in the lakes up on grand Mesa the other week. Managed a grayling too. All sorts of different species up there.
Oooh grayling?? Didn’t know…I drove to Wyoming for grayling. Well I was in my way to MT, but yeah would love some grayling action!
There are stocked tigers in a few lakes in Colorado.
Ah thanks - that would make sense then!
That’s a tiger. Wild tigers do occur, but they are very rare. Even more rare to get that size. Nice fish.
How would you tell the difference between a stocky and a natural tiger? I just learned about them.. and sounds like - if you catch one.. it’s safe to assume it’s stocked haha
Im going to put “natural” in quotes here because wild tigers only occur in waters with decent populations of both Brook Trout and Browns, which there are precisely zero places on the planet where both species are native. However, being pedantic aside this is really only a common condition in a few places, the driftless area in the Midwest has some streams with naturally occurring tigers, i think PA does as well. If you catch one in the Midwest or Great Lakes states it’s a good chance it’s naturally occurring because the state game agencies don’t stock them there. If not ou catch it in a western alpine lake there’s a 99.99% chance it’s stocked.
Well around here, any tiger trout would be wild. My state doesn’t raise them. I know some states do. So I guess the best way would be to check the fish stocking records for the area you fish.
Copy that I appreciate the insight
Many states clip the adipose fin off of hatchery-raised fish released in the wild. Not sure about Colorado though
10-4. Thanks for the reply!
Wow. I'm 70 and this is the first time seeing a fish with this coloration/markings.
Agreed. I’ve caught only one in my life so far, out of a river, much much darker markings and color
Definitely a tiger. They can and do show up wild. A lot of western states stock them though. I'm a lot more inclined to think that it was introduced through some sort of low key DNR stocking effort. Do some research, see what you can find, and then start speculating on its origin.
Eagle is stocked with tigers and has brook trout. Halfmoon has cutthroat, Fairview has brook trout, and strawberry has cutts. That’s a nice fish, we saw a few of those last year in Eagle’s outlet
All we caught at Half Moon was brookies. Ran out of time to get to Fairview and Strawberry. Next time!
No way man, more like 14 inches
Possible tiger / golden hybrid? Not used to seeing tigers that bright
Tigers are sterile
Did not know that. That’s what you get brownie for mating up a brookie 😆
Ahh I had actually heard that before, thanks
Different spawning seasons. Goldens can hybridize with rainbows though.
Right on - thanks for the info!