Rainbow Trout

April 21, 2022

Question: How high can rainbow trout jump?

Answer: A rainbow trout can jump a maximum of about three meters or almost 10 feet. However, a more realistic day-to-day jump would be closer to 1.5 meters or about five feet. Rainbow trout are known for being fast swimmers and high jumpers. The reason they can swim so fast and jump so high is because they are very muscular and flexible. This flexibility comes from the fact that rainbow trout have many small delicate vertebrae. A rainbow trout has about 62 vertebrae, whereas a bass only has about 32. This extra flexibility allows them to use the full range of their muscles to jump over obstacles. For more fun fish facts, visit the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (CDFW) Classroom Aquarium Education Program at https://wildlife.ca.gov/CAEP.