Coastal cutthroat trout can return to spawn more than once. The coastal cutthroat trout is greenish blue on its back and silvery on the sides. They are distinguished from other trout and salmon species by bright red streaks located on the lower jaw, and the dense patterns of spots across the body and completely covering the tail. Adult cutthroat average 1 to 4 pounds, and can reach 20 inches in length. The coastal cutthroat trout is unlike most of the other salmon Species, because it may spawn more than once.
Adults commonly enter streams during the fall and feed on the eggs from other salmons' spawn.
Like other salmon, the female cutthroat digs a nest or redd and the male fertilizes the eggs. Spawning can occur from December through May, dependent upon the water conditions. The female cutthroat can lay from 200 to 4,400 eggs, which hatch in about 1 month. The young spend 1 to 2 weeks in the gravel before emerging. Young cutthroat can spend 1 to 9 years in fresh water before they migrate to the estuaries and ocean in the spring, most commonly three years from emergence.