- The Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus Mykiss) is a cold-water fish belonging to the salmon and trout family (Salmonidae) ... native to the Pacific Ocean tributaries of North America and Asia, it has become one of the most widely distributed and popular game fish in the world due to its hard-fighting nature and its adaptability to hatchery rearing - Rainbow trout in southern Arizona are primarily found in high-elevation mountain lakes or are stocked seasonally in lower-elevation community and state park waters during the cooler winter months - Because rainbow trout are cold-water fish that cannot survive in temperatures exceeding 72°F, their presence in the southern desert is highly dependent on Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) stocking efforts - Rose Canyon Lake , a 6-acre lake in the Santa Catalina Mountains near Tucson, is one of the most popular spots for rainbow trout ... stocking usually occurs once a month from early April through late August - Several parks within Tucson...