Bull Trout Habitat Requirements

Demographic and habitat requirements for conservation of bull troutGen.

Bull trout habitat requirements. Bull Trout require the c oldest water of any local trout to survive - anything above 60 degrees F can limit their distribution. The literature search focused primarily on grey. Demographic and habitat requirements for conservation of bull trout Bruce E.

Bull Trout spawn in the early fall but the fry dont emerge from the gravel until the following spring. Bull Trout tend to be very selective when choosing spawning locations. They mainly occur in deep pools of large.

Literature that is difficult to obtain for most fisheries biologists. Therefore Bull Trout require sparkling c lean c lear streams. Compared to other salmonids bull trout have more specific habitat requirements that appear to influence their distribution and abundance.

Because of its very specific habitat requirements particularly cold clean well oxygenated water and connected watersheds this fish is highly sensitive to habitat changes. Stream-resident Bull Trout migrate within tributary stream networks for spawning purposes as well as in response to changes in seasonal habitat requirements and conditions. Spawning Bull Trout spawn in flowing water8 and show a preference for gravel and cobble sections in smaller lower order rivers and streams.

Bull Trout are olive-green to blue-grey in colour and pale round spots on their flanks and back distinguish them from most other similar-looking salmonids. They prefer cold water 48 degrees or less clean spawning substrates and streams with riffles deep pools undercut banks and large logs. Bull trout have some of the most specific habitat requirements of any salmonid and these are often described as the Four Cs.

Bull Trout are cold water specialists which have identified as having more specific habitat requirements than other salmonids18. Cavender 1978 reported that Bull Trout have a larger broader and flatter head and a more ventrally flattened body than Dolly Varden. Bull Trout have a large head and jaws in relation to their long slender body Post and Johnston 2002.