# Rainbow Trout: Sterile?

**URL:** <https://forum.bigfishtackle.com/t/rainbow-trout-sterile/455447>\
**Category:** Utah Fishing General\
**Created:** [March 3, 2020, 10:22pm UTC](https://forum.bigfishtackle.com/t/rainbow-trout-sterile/455447 "2020-03-03T22:22:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![richyd4u](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9fc348/32.png) [@richyd4u](https://forum.bigfishtackle.com/u/richyd4u)\
**Post date:** [March 3, 2020, 11:16pm UTC](https://forum.bigfishtackle.com/t/rainbow-trout-sterile/455447/1 "2020-03-03T23:16:33Z")

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> [@steelhawk](#):
>
> I was watching an older episode of Hooked on Utah. They caught a fat rainbow trout and made a comment about it spawning soon.&nbsp; I was under the impression that rainbows in utah were sterile. How true is that?
> 
> Yes…they think they are spawning, but are shooting blanks, lol! There are different straines thought that “spawn” at different times…some go in the winter, some in the spring.

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**Author:** ![PBH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e480ec/32.png) [@PBH](https://forum.bigfishtackle.com/u/PBH)\
**Post date:** [March 4, 2020, 1:27pm UTC](https://forum.bigfishtackle.com/t/rainbow-trout-sterile/455447/2 "2020-03-04T13:27:30Z")

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Triploid trout are created by heat-shocking the fertilized eggs.&nbsp; This results in fish that contain 3 sets of chromosomes.&nbsp; Half of the fish will be XXY (triploid males) and half will be XXX (triploid females).&nbsp; Both should be sterile or infertile.

Male triploids may still develop functional gonad tissue and may participate in spawning behavior even though they are sterile.  
Females do not develop gonads (or, develop “string” like gonads) and do not exhibit spawning behaviour.