Brook Trout

What it looks like

• back is olive-green, brown or black; belly is silvery or white
• light wormlike markings and spots on dark background, some red and blue
• white leading edge on lower fins, set off by black line
• square tail
• mouth extends backwards to well beyond the eye

Size

• length: 15-40 centimetres (6-16 inches)
• weight: 0.45-1.36 kilograms (1-3 pounds)
• Ontario record: 6.6 kilograms (14.5 pounds)

Similar fish

• Splake
• Lake Trout

Where it is found

Range

• much of Ontario from the small brooks of southern Ontario farmland to the larger rivers, ponds and lakes of the North
• use Fish ON-Line, an interactive mapping tool, to find specific lakes and rivers

Habitat

• a year-round supply of cold, clear water
• plenty of cover from overhanging branches, logs and rocks
• streams with cool, quiet pools between runs of fast water and rapids
• clear, cold lakes and beaver ponds

Find a fishing spot with Fish ON-Line

Angling tips

• found near overhanging trees, submerged wood, rocky points and shoals
• inland-lake brook trout are most active during spring and fall
• river brook trout stay in cold pools at the base of falls and rapids through the summer, spread out during the spring and fall
• worms and other natural baits are preferred during high-water periods
• use a flyrod and flies as water temperature rises, and trout move from deep pools into riffles in search of insects
• use a light-action 7-foot rod and a spinning reel holding 4 to 8-pound test

Common baits

• small minnow-imitating plugs
• spoons, jigs, spinners
• artificial flies
• worms, minnows, leeches, insects