Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout

Yellowstone cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii bouvieri) are the most widespread native trout in the park and were the dominant fish species here prior to Euroamerican settlement. They are an important species in Yellowstone National Park, upon which many other species depend. They provide an important source of food for an estimated 16 species of birds, and mammals including bears, river otters, and mink.

Genetically pure Yellowstone cutthroat trout (YCT) populations have declined throughout their natural range in the Intermountain West, succumbing to competition with and predation by nonnative fish species, a loss of genetic integrity through hybridization, habitat degradation, and angling harvest. Many of the remaining genetically pure YCT are found within the park. State and federal wildlife agencies classify YCT as a sensitive species. However, the US Fish and Wildlife Service does not warrant listing the YCT as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act.