Brook Trout

Introduction: While Brook Trout (also called Speckled Trout) are not native to the Western United States, they have been stocked in many waters and have become a popular game fish. Their native range extenteds as far west as Minnesota to the Coastal Streams of the Atlantic. The North to South range of Brook Trout is from Hudson Bay to the mountains of Georgia. In Washington these trout are mainly found in mountain lakes and streams, although they are also found in a number of streams and lakes in Eastern Washington as well. These trout often do to well for their own good when they are stocked in lakes, and overpopulate resulting in a stunted population of 6 to 8 inch trout.   Brookies spawn in fall, usually in October of November, and have the ability to spawn on lake bottoms. This has allow them to successfully spawn in places that other trout would be been able to. Brook Trout are very opportunistic feeders, feeding largely on aquatic insect larvae, however when other trout are present in streams with brook trout, the brookies feed more on organism that live on the bottom.

     Brook Trout are actually a species of Char, and not a trout at all. Char and trout are easy to tell apart from each other, as trout have dark spots on a light backgound where as char exhibit light spots on a dark backgound. Some other species of Char include Lake Trout, Bull Trout, Dolly Varden and Arctic Char.

Description:    A feature that sets brook trout apart from other trout and char is that the exhibit vermications, which are wavy pale yellow markings found on their backs. Brook trout also have small red spots that are surrounded by light blue hallows that are scattered among larger yellow spots. Spawning fish show a yellow-orange to crimson color on their lower half, which is more pronounced in males. The lower fins on Brook Trout are a reddish-orange color, with a white and black border. Sea-Run and Lake dwelling brook trout often have silvery sides, but a greenish olive color is very common in fresh water.