Abstract
The total lipid content of fry (25–30 mm) and parr (55–110 mm) of rainbow trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss Richardson 1836) was measured in spring 1996 and 1997 and in autumn 1997 in six trout‐rearing tributaries of Lake Taupo, New Zealand. The fat content of fry was variable between streams and some streams had a higher inter‐annual variation than others. The fat content of parr was also variable among streams but no difference could be found between seasons. The streams that produced fry with high fat content did not always produce parr with high fat content.