Western Native Trout Challenge

03/08/2025

For those anglers who are working on their New Mexico Trout Challenge along with their Western Native Trout Challenge! New Mexico Department of Game and Fish

03/03/2025

Native trout aficionados: Catch new episodes of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Fish of the Week podcast every Monday at FWS.gov
or wherever you get your podcasts. This week, Josh Homer from the USFWS Leadville National Fish Hatchery in Colorado and Chris Kennedy from the USFWS Colorado Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office will talk about ! PLEASE NOTE that Greenbacks are not yet part of the .

Listen here: https://player.captivate.fm/episode/d8fc241e-b6b8-4b7b-abae-c4f18f96e977

02/27/2025

Get Yourself Between a Rock and A Cool Place! Take the Western Native Trout Challenge and catch native trout in their native habitats, win prizes, and have the adventure of a lifetime! Western Native Trout Initiative
westernnativetroutchallenge.org

02/07/2025

The deadline is coming - Februry 28, 2025 - for student entries of artwork for this year's Western Native Trout Award! Wildlife Forever Fish Art Contest

Celebrate Trout with the Western Native Trout Initiative Award! 🐟

This award celebrates diversity and raises awareness of the importance of protecting, conserving, and restoring native trout and char species in the western United States.

Artwork must feature a Western U.S. Native Trout species.

Applicable species are: Apache Trout, Arctic Char, Arctic Grayling, Bonneville Cutthroat Trout, Bull Trout, California Golden Trout, Costal Cutthroat Trout, Colorado River Cutthroat Trout, Gila Trout, Greenback Cutthroat Trout, Lahontan Cutthroat Trout, Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout, Westslope Cutthroat Trout, and Yellowstone Cutthroat Slope.

📅 Deadline: February 28, 2025
🖼️ Learn more at https://www.theartofconservation.org/western-native-trout-award

02/07/2025

Registrations and donations from participants in the Western Native Trout Challenge help fund the Western Native Trout Initiative small grants program each year. The small grants program focuses on funding community-based projects that emphasize citizen science and outreach to help address challenges facing the restoration and recovery of our focal western native trout species.This Bear River Cutthroat Trout mural was one of six projects funded in 2024 across six western states.

02/02/2025

Check out this article by NDOW's Fisheries Biologist Sam Sedillo on bringing Lahontan Cutthroat Trout back to Nevada Waters! 🐟

Check out this article by NDOW's Fisheries Biologist Sam Sedillo on bringing native trout back to Nevada Waters! 🐟 Lahontan Cutthroat Trout (LCT) once thrived in Nevada’s lakes and rivers, but habitat loss and competition from non-native fish have pushed them to the brink. NDOW, alongside partner agencies, is working hard to turn the tide—monitoring populations, restoring habitats, and exploring recovery efforts in places like Lake Tahoe.
Learn more about how NDOW and partners are paving the way for the future of this iconic species here: https://calflyfisher.com/conservation/lahontan-cutthroat-trout/

01/13/2025

The Western Native Trout Initiative (WNTI) is seeking our next coordinator! Please see the RFP below for position description and application instructions. Interested applicants should apply asap. The position is open until filled but we are hoping to have a new coordinator on board by March.

The Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA) represents 24 states and Canadian provinces, an area covering nearly 3.7 million square miles of some of North America’s most wild and scenic country. WAFWA’s reach encompasses more than 40 percent of North America, including two-thir...

12/23/2024

Happy Holidays from the Western Native Trout Challenge and tight lines in 2025! Western Native Trout Initiative

12/16/2024

Great news about ! Decades of conservation work is keeping the Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout OFF the Endangered Species list! Western Native Trout Initiative would like to congratulate all of the conservation partners who have worked together for over 20 years to improve the status of Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout. It is a true accomplishment and a testament to the power of collaboration. Thank you to Colorado Parks and Wildlife and New Mexico Department of Game and Fish for co-leading the interagency conservation team. We are proud to have been a partner on many of these projects!

12/04/2024

The Western Native Trout Initiative is proud to partner with the again in 2025 for the Western Native Trout Award! https://www.facebook.com/FishArtContest/posts/pfbid027G3mMkTYTDJdttaJZ5zSSiXae6GQZSTzgXFPPx6n5NszA8QtqW7EawbifFtXikLwl?__cft__[0]=AZUTnFWGajNUb5QF0s8cfiEe_pGEwnOeywsqyY3Im50wtKUWo6qHYjFGpyBdgWF6LOmhZpYs6R7n4yUXfSHP1rwAAF8F47QwNLLHUzvaCRhUzp8RZjiyp8J0QZsI2xfilF59cQ6AXnJxWdpX_25MXpoVFS4PlVjhIW_rSIjQNeaq1K6igkN0wAvG05q4bXCHFuA&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R

🎣 The Western Native Trout Award celebrates the diversity of native trout! 🏞️ In partnership with Western Native Trout Initiative, this award emphasizes the importance of protecting and restoring native trout and char species in the western U.S. 🌊 To enter, create artwork featuring a Western Native Trout species, like the Apache Trout or Lahontan Cutthroat Trout. 🐟 Winners across all age categories will receive prizes, including gear and features in their newsletter! 🏆

Learn more about the Western Native Trout Award and how to enter the 2024-25 Fish Art Contest at www.FishArt.org

12/03/2024

Congratulations to our recent Western Native Trout Challenge "completers"! Winter is a great time to start making your plans to complete the Challenge!

Congratulations to These Anglers for Completing the Western Native Trout Challenge! Thank you for participating in our program! Expert Caster Level 6 species across at least four states Scott Lyons – CA • Evan Barger – CO • Robert Brehm – NV • Bill Hammons – NV • Paul McIlwee – NV ...

11/28/2024

11/27/2024

The Utah Cutthroat Slam saw a record number of completions in 2024 and is releasing the newest medallion — featuring the Bear River cutthroat trout — for anglers who complete the fishing challenge.

The Utah Cutthroat Slam saw a record number of completions in 2024 and is releasing the newest medallion — featuring the Bear River cutthroat trout — for anglers who complete the fishing challenge. 🙌🎣

This fun fishing challenge helps raise funds for cutthroat trout conservation. To successfully complete the slam and receive a medallion, anglers must catch Utah’s four native subspecies of cutthroat trout in their native ranges. Learn more about this fishing challenge and how you can get started: bit.ly/3AX6LhF

11/09/2024

Did you know that WNTI has a popular Instagram feed where we share beautiful photos of our native trout and char and updates on our habitat restoration projects? Come join us!

9,781 Followers, 1,212 Following, 1,397 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from WNTI ()

11/05/2024

Being a fisheries biologist is cool! A new video from Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (Region 1) about how Bull Trout are sampled through electrofishing on a small tributary of the Clark Fork. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks

10/24/2024

🎣 The Western Native Trout Award celebrates the diversity of native trout! 🏞️ In partnership with Western Native Trout Initiative, this award emphasizes the importance of protecting and restoring native trout and char species in the western U.S. 🌊 To enter, create artwork featuring a Western Native Trout species, like the Apache Trout or Lahontan Cutthroat Trout. 🐟 Winners across all age categories will receive prizes, including gear and features in their newsletter! 🏆

Learn more about the Western Native Trout Award and how to enter the 2024-25 Fish Art Contest at www.FishArt.org

09/26/2024

As the result of a software update, the registration link for the Western Native Trout Challenge has been changed. If you have saved the registration link in your digital bookmarks, the old link no longer works. The new registration link is embedded in the Aquatic Invasives Prevention powerpoint on the website. If you have friends who are not on social media and plan to register for the first time or to re-register to obtain additional certificates, please let them know! This change does NOT affect the link to submit your photos/information to obtain your certificates/prizes, it only affects the link you use to register for the program. Thank you for helping us get the word out!

We are happy you’re here! This short presentation will help anglers learn about the threat aquatic invasive species pose to water bodies. Familiarizing yourself with this information will help you reduce the risk of moving Aquatic Invasive Species by learning how you can Clean, Drain, Dry clothing...

09/18/2024

The Western Native Trout Initiative is hiring two contract positions, Communications Coordinator and Native Trout Challenge Coordinator. For more information on Scope of Work and proposal due dates, visit WNTI's website.

The Western Native Trout Initiative (WNTI) is hiring two contract positions. For more information, click on the links below.