1106

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 1106
• Author: Gosse, J.
• Title: Microhabitat of Rainbow and Cutthroat Trout in the Green River Below Flaming Gorge Dam.
• USFW Year: 1982.
• USFW - Doc Type: Logan, UT.
• Copyright Material: NO

17

Juvenile cutthroat trout were found primarily in pools dur-
ing- the winter. They were usually found in the lowest velocity
habitat. Juvenile rainbow trout and adult cutthroat trout also
were primarily tound in this type of distribution. Often the ju~
veni1e cutthroat trout would be found nearer the surface of a
poo1 while the latter .two groups would tend to occupy the lower
parts. It was not uncommon to observe adult rainbow trout in
this type of winter distribution, but they were the most likely
group to be found in the more typical summer distribution, as
described below. This was particularly true of the largest adult
rainbow trout. During the winter, fish did not necessarily main-
tain a fixed position with regard to the river bottom. They
often, however, maintained a relatively stable orientation to the
current or current edge.

Summer

Observations made from June through November (the period of

warm water, ~hereafter referred to as summer) indicated that the

fish were distributed quite differently from the winter. They

were found primarily in shallow water areas including riffles,

rapids, glides, and to some extent the near shore area. Some

fish still occupied the larger pools, but their numbers were

greatly reduced, often by an order of magnitude or more.

Stationary swimming was the primary activity observed during

the summer. Fish were normally distributed two dimensionally in

a horizontal plane and they usually occupied stations or posi-

-tions, similar to the territories described by other authors.