Read the article with FishingTheSpot: the brook trout
Keep an eye on this subject!
Thousands of species spotlights and techniques but also all the local information about your city!
Meet other anglers near you and share your fishing fishing trips, afoot or on a boat, at sea or in freshwater
See the fishing tripsThe Brook Trout
From April to September
18 cm
Did you fish
this species this month?
The Brook Trout belongs to the Salmonidae family. The average size of the brook trout is 50 cm and the weight only exceptionally exceeds 7 kg. It has a longevity of 5 years. It reproduces in autumn. It is fished from April to September.
Its body is fusiform, laterally compressed, and slender. Its general shape is reminiscent of trout, although a little more massive. The body is arched at the dorsal fin. It has a small but stocky head with a widely split mouth, including teeth on the jaws, tongue and palate. On the body, the scales are small and thin. The Brook trout have two dorsal fins, one of which is characteristic of Salmonids. The color is distributed differently over the body: the back is rather dark brown, with lighter mottling and covered with a network of very close yellow spots. The sides have a beautiful light brown color, sometimes olive green. They also have yellow spots, less tightened. Round and red spots can also be seen on the sides. The color of the belly varies from white to pink, but can be pale yellow to dark red. It all depends on the environment in which it operates. Populations living near the bottom are paler than those living in open water, rather colorful. In males, the livery becomes bright orange during the breeding season. Finally, the pectoral, pelvic and anal fins are bordered by a white border, specific to the genus Salvelinus, highlighted here by a black band.
The Brook trout lifestyle
Brook trout feed mainly on invertebrates (worms, leeches, planktonic crustaceans, mollusks, insect larvae such as phrygans and dragonflies). It also consumes eggs, fry and small amphibians. It feeds mainly at night. A marked decrease in appetite is noticed during the winter period.
Sexual maturity is reached after 2 to 3 years in males and 3 to 4 years in females. The spawners observe a maturation phase during which all the energy is devoted to the production of gametes. Then the males, attracted by pheromones, join the females around the spawning grounds. These spawning grounds are located near the shoreline, in areas where the current is strong enough to ensure good oxygenation of the eggs. These spawning areas often resemble those of trout. These are holes dug in the gravel, of variable diameter and depth. The sex ratio is one female to several males. In most cases, there is a dominant male and smaller males seeking to reproduce with larger females. The oocytes are expelled by the female (about 4,000 oocytes per kg) and deposited, before fertilization, on the bottom of shallow streams and near the edge. They are immediately fertilized by the male (s). The female then covers the eggs with gravel using its tail. The diameter of the eggs is between 3 and 5 mm because they are larger or smaller depending on the age of the female. Hatching occurs after 1 to 2 months. The larva will feed on its yolk sac for a short month. The fry will then start looking for food.
The Brook trout habitat
It likes fresh and oxygenated mountain waters, but tolerates a temperature of up to 25°C. It is often found in rivers or lakes above 2500 m in altitude. It is a fish that prefers the current to stagnant water.
It is found in America, Europe, Oceania.
The Brook trout angling
It can be caught with fly fishing and other types of fishing.
