State
Fish: Golden Trout
The golden trout (Salmo agua-bonita) is native only to California
and was named the official state fish by act of the State Legislature
in 1947. Originally the species was found only in a few streams in
the icy headwaters of the Kern River, south of Mount Whitney, the
highest peak in the United States outside of Alaska. Stocking of
wild and hatchery-reared fish has extended its range to many waters
at high elevation in the Sierra Nevada from El Dorado and Alpine
Counties southward. It has also been planted in other states.