Thousands of tiger trout, a hybrid of brown trout and brook trout, are being stocked in Nebraska for the first time, according to Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (NGPC).
Most of the fish being stocked measure 10-12 inches in length. The hybrid trout have been raised at the Rock Creek State Fish Hatchery near Parks, Nebraska.
Tiger trout exhibit characteristics of both brookies and browns. They can be identified by the worm-like scale pattern that cover their body.
In years prior to the stockings, tiger trout were an occasional catch in panhandle streams, apparently the result of natural reproduction.
The state record is a 13½-inch, 15-ounce tiger trout that was caught in the Hat Creek near Harrison in April 2015. The fish can grow to be much larger, however. Wyoming’s tiger trout record, for instance, exceeds 11 pounds.
For more information, visit: outdoornebraska.gov.
source: Nebraska Game and Parks Commission