iStockphoto / Joseph Mayans
A 13-year-old in Wyoming who was out fishing “for anything that would bite” on the Viva Naughton Reservoir wound up catching the fish of a lifetime and caught himself a new state record tiger trout, a rare hybrid species of trout.
Tiger trout are a gorgeous species of trout that look both familiar and foreign as they exhibit vibrant markings from their two parent species, brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) and brown trout (Salmo trutta). They are easily identifiable from their vibrant colors and markings, but these fish, even in reservoirs where they are stocked, are hard to come by and are rarely targeted and when they are caught it is an added bonus on the day.
New Wyoming State Fishing Record For Tiger Trout
Coincidentally, I wrote about the previous Wyoming state fishing record for tiger trout on this date last year, August 23rd. That fish weighed 11.93 pounds and was caught by angler Owen Schaad who was also fishing on Viva Naughton and exactly one year later here I am writing about his record being broken by 13-year-old Jaxon Krall from nearby Kemmerer.
Jaxon Krall told the Wyoming Game & Fish Department that he “was fishing for anything that would bite, but I knew when I hooked it that it was big.” After landing the fish and realizing it might be a state fishing record, they needed to weigh the fish on a certified scale.
Krall said “I was excited and nervous, and I was really happy and excited when it was.” He added that he’s really excited to get back out to the Viva Naughton Reservoir for some more trout fishing but now that he’s landed a state record tiger trout he plans on releasing the trout he catches in the future.
Wyoming Game and Fish fisheries supervisor Robb Kieth said the tiger trout in the Viva Naughton Reservoir are a major attraction for anglers in the area. He said “we stock small numbers of tiger trout to provide an opportunity for anglers to catch an exceptional fish from time to time.”
How to catch this rare trout species
Fishing for tiger trout isn’t all that different from fishing for other trout species. You first need to know where to find them (cold water) and what they are biting on.
As Viva Naughton has produced state fishing records for this species in back-to-back years, this might be a good place to start. Robb Keith of Wyoming Game and Fish shed some light on where to look for them at Viva Naughton. He said “we see them predominantly close to shore down to 25 feet of water. They are found close to structures. They are eating shiners and Utah chubs, so anglers should choose lures, flies and baits that resemble these forage fish.”
That right there… depth, proximity from shore, near structure, what they are biting on, lures and bait suggestions… that is more advice than you will ever get from 99.999% of trout fishermen. He’s a gentlemen amongst men for sharing those tips!
Here the fish that set last year’s Wyoming state record that Jaxon Krall just broke:
For context, the IGFA fishing world record for tiger trout is a 27 pound, 6 ounce fish caught on Loon Lake in Washington in August 2022.