Freshwater
Brook Trout
Where to find them, how to catch them and the tackle to use.
01Introduction
The brook trout, also called the brookie, squaretail or speckled trout, is the native trout of eastern North America: a small, brightly colored fish with worm-like markings on its back, red spots in blue halos, an orange belly and white-edged fins. It needs cold, clean water, so where it thrives, the water is healthy. Most stream brookies are small, but in lakes and ponds they can top 20 inches and 5 pounds.
02Where to Catch
Range: native from Newfoundland and the western side of Hudson Bay south through the Great Lakes and upper Mississippi basins to Minnesota, and down the Appalachians to northern Georgia. Brook trout have been lost from much of their native range to habitat damage, warming and introduced fish, and they've been stocked in cold waters elsewhere.
Habitat: cold, clear, well-oxygenated water, ideally 50 to 65°F; they die within hours at 75°F.
- Streams: spring-fed brooks with as many pools as riffles, rocky, silt-free bottoms and plenty of cover (boulders, logs, undercut banks, overhanging plants). Brookies hold out of the main current. Headwater fish often stay under 7 inches.
- Ponds and lakes: shallow, spring-fed areas less than 15 to 20 feet deep; in hot weather, cold springs and seeps rather than the depths.
03How to Catch
Streams
Stream trout spook easily, and small streams make them spookier. Approach quietly, stay low and out of sight, and wear polarized glasses. Brook trout eat drifting insects and small fish, so small dry flies, nymphs, streamers and tiny spinners all work; drop them into plunge pools, under undercut banks and behind logs and rocks. Fishing water away from roads often means bigger, less wary fish.
Ponds and lakes
In spring and fall, brook trout feed near shore and at the surface: cast small dry flies, streamers, copper lures or worms. In summer they move to 10 to 35 feet, where trolling or casting small streamers, nymphs and copper lures, or still-fishing worms, produces.
Through the ice
In ponds, winter brook trout often hold close to shore in 4 to 12 feet of water. Fish minnows, worms or small copper jigs.
Fall spawn
Brook trout spawn in fall, from late September into November, over gravel where groundwater wells up. Leave spawning fish alone on their redds.
04Tackle
Light fly or spinning tackle: a 4-weight fly rod or an ultralight spinning rod with light line. Carry small dry flies, nymphs and streamers, small inline spinners and small copper spoons. Handle brook trout gently and release them quickly, especially in warm weather. Check your state's regulations; many protect wild brook trout with special rules.
05Questions anglers ask
How do I recognize a brook trout?
A dark olive back with wavy, worm-like markings, red spots with blue halos, an orange belly (brightest on spawning males) and lower fins edged in white. The tail is square, which is why they're called squaretails.
What water temperature do brook trout need?
Cold. They thrive from near freezing to about 65°F, do best around 55 to 60°F, and can die after a few hours at 75°F. In hot weather they crowd into cold springs and seeps.
Why are brook trout declining?
They need cold, clean water and are sensitive to habitat damage, warming and competition from introduced fish such as brown trout, bass and perch. Many native populations now occupy only part of their original range.