California golden trout; photo © Graham Owen Gallery (all rights reserved; used by permission).
Official State Fish of California
The California golden trout (Salmo agua-bonita) was designated the official state fish of California in 1947. California also adopted a marine fish as a state symbol in 1995. All State Fish
The golden trout is native to California, originally found only in a few icy streams of the headwaters of the Kern River. Hatchery-raised fish have now extended the range of the California golden trout to many waters at high elevation in the Sierra Nevadas and also other states.