Rainbow Trout
Oncorhynchus mykiss

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The rainbow trout is native to western North America. It is a popular freshwater fish among both farmers and consumers.

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Rainbow trout can be raised in net pens in lakes, in ponds, and in tanks on land. This means that trout can be raised everywhere in Canada, even on the Prairies!

Courtesy of Manitoulin Trout Farms and Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation
In Ontario, Indigenous-owned farms on Manitoulin Island produce large numbers of rainbow trout.
Good to Know . . .
Rainbow trout are part of the salmonid family. This makes them cousins of Arctic char and Atlantic salmon.

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Rainbow trout is less popular than salmon, even though it is also rich in protein and omega-3, a healthy form of fat.

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In Central Canada, rainbow trout is also called steelhead trout.
Depending on the type of rainbow trout, it can be raised in freshwater, saltwater, or both.
Until the 1870s, rainbow trout were only present along the Pacific Coast of North America. Humans have now domesticated the fish and introduced it to waterways around the world.