Upper Klamath Basin Redband Trout SMU

The Upper Klamath Lake basin contains the remnants of Pleistocene Lake Modoc, which redband trout may have entered from interior connections. Currently, the Upper Klamath Lake Basin supports the largest and most functional adfluvial redband trout populations of Oregon interior basins, however, some populations are severely limited in distribution and abundance by habitat quality and non-native species. The SMU is comprised of 10 populations that vary in life history, genetics, disease resistance, and status. Eighty percent of the populations meet three of the six interim criteria, thereby classifying this SMU as ‘at risk’. Limited data sets and inferences from other information for populations in this SMU provide a qualified level of confidence in the assessment of the interim criteria.