Kern River Rainbow
The Kern River Rainbow in the Upper Kern River area is designated a native and heritage population. They are considered to have the most similar genetics to the original Kern River Rainbow, a fish thought to have come about several thousand years ago due to hybridization between Coastal Rainbows and Kern River Goldens. Fortunately, in the 1900's when they began stocking Rainbows in the Kern River, there were natural barriers to prevent these stocked fish from making their way into the Upper Kern.