Goldens

That’s a tough question. Goldens can be extremely fickle. I haven’t fished Big Greider since they started putting goldens in there so I can’t speak from direct experience on that lake. In other lakes I’ve found that you often have to search for them and it is hard to predict where they’ll be. I’ve seen lakes where they are all very deep, but did start to rise in the evening. I’ve seen other lakes where they are cruising the shallows in schools. I’ve seen them hiding under talus along the shore. Inlets are always good places to try. Greider is a very large lake with a lot of brush so a boat is extremely helpful in there.

If nothing is rising I’d try a brass Krocodile or Jakes Spin-a-lure fished deep or something like a wooly bugger fished on a sinking line at varying depths. If they are rising then, of course, try to match the hatch. They can turn off and on like somebody flipped a switch so they can be very frustrating at times!

Brian says it like it is. Goldens are VERY fickle. You can fish for them for 2 days and swear no Goldens are in the lake. Next morning they let you know they are there, and friendly. Brian told you the name of the lure (I seldom fished mountain lakes with flies) I’ve used: Jakes Spin-a-Lure. I, too, have found gold is best. I haven’t fished Grieder since the 1960’s (before Goldens). Brian has given good advice, for about ANY lake in which trout reside. – Mossback

All the goldens I have ever caught were on flies, couldn’t catch them on anything else. I used small brownish colored flies about size 12 – no specail name, just home tied.

McPilchuck

Goldens HAVE been caught in Big Greider, but you usually have to really work at it because they are almost lost in the much more numerous rainbows in the lake. I began stocking the lake with goldens in order to provide a relatively easily-accessible golden lake to the general public, but having them mixed in with the rainbow does make them more challenging to catch. There are other golden lakes that you can search out that have JUST goldens in them. All of the other comments from Brian are right on.

Anyone know where the state record Golden was caught? I think it was near or just over 5lbs… 😯

I know someone who hangs around this forum knows where the state record golden was caught, but I wouldn’t count on him telling…

I’ve never caught a golden- I don’t think. Is there a definate way to tell?
I’ve heard that a lake must have inlet and outlet streams to sustain them. Is this correct?

Some of the pics I’ve seen on the 20″+ topic of goldens look like trout I’ve considered a type of RB.

Goldens (Oncorhynchus mykiss aguabonita) are a subspecies of rainbow (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Goldens will have most of their spotting near their tail and they’ll typically be larger spots then RB have. Look for rosy cheeks and adults will normally carry parr marks, though as evidenced by sooperfly’s fish they can lose them. In that fish notice the red on the body. You won’t see a RB get red from the lateral line down to the belly like that. The color of the body tends toward gold or yellow. Don’t be confused, however, if you should run into Yellowstone CT which also have a gold or yellow color.