A sought-after game fish because it often lives in pristine waters and readily attacks flies of all kinds, it was the first destination fish in the Americas. The brook trout inhabits large and small lakes, rivers, streams, creeks, and spring ponds. [5] It is considered by fisheries biologist Robert J. Behnke as a highly specialized form of brook trout.[6]. September 2018 S. f. agassizii (Garman, 1885)† alpinus). [4] The silver trout, (Salvelinus agassizii or S. f. agassizii), is an extinct trout species or subspecies last seen in Dublin Pond, New Hampshire, in 1930. December 2016 Telemetry. October 2017 The specific epithet "fontinalis" comes from the Latin for "of a spring or fountain", in reference to the clear, cold streams and ponds in its native habitat. Brook trout can be distinguished from other members of the trout family by the dark, wavy, worm-like line on their back and the white leading edges of their fins, including the tail. In Maine they are sometimes called squaretail, especially by older anglers. Though commonly called a trout, the brook trout is thus actually one of the chars, which in North America also include the lake trout, bull trout, Dolly Varden, and the Arctic char. Char are distinguished from other trout and salmon species by the absence of teeth in the roof of the mouth, the presence of light colored spots on a dark colored body, their smaller scales, and differences in skeletal structure. In parts of its range, it is also known as the eastern brook trout, speckled trout, brook charr, squaretail, or mud trout, among others. Although uncommon in nature, they are artificially propagated in substantial numbers for stocking into brook trout or lake trout habitats. Brook Trout spawn in the fall, from mid-September through November and may travel to upstream headwaters to find the right spawning spot. [41][42][43] In the northern Rocky Mountains, non-native brook trout are considered a significant contributor to the decline or extirpation of native cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki) in headwater streams. That being said, the more members that state they live within minutes of these beautiful waters only makes my jealousy raise higher. December 2017 Although they might be on the smaller side, they are some of the most spectacular looking fish, and are not afraid to hit a dry fly! I fish a stream in the NY that runs out of a reservoir. A smaller cousin of salmon, they live in cool, fast-running rivers and streams across most of North America. Because of this, you’ll rarely find them in sluggish, slow-moving water. These brook trout, known as “salters”, have migratory tendencies. [1] Brook trout are found as far south as Georgia in the Appalachian mountain range and extend north all the way to Hudson Bay. But, come late September, fish will begin moving to access spawning habitat. This allows for a current to circulate through the tank and keep it clean, acting as a flush of water that takes fish waste with it. Some more elaborate systems operate on a re-circulation system where the water is filtered and reused. Miscellaneous Brook trout feed primarily on insects drifting in the current, so they prefer to hold in slower water with easy access to faster current that serves as the grocery conveyor belt. June 2016, All August 2018 The aurora trout, S. f. timagamiensis, is a subspecies native to two lakes in the Temagami District of Ontario, Canada. Features: Brook trout are easily identified by the worm-like pale yellow markings on their backs and red dots with blue halos and white borders on their lower fins. Good luck Shannon! [citation needed], Typical lengths of the brook trout vary from 25 to 65 cm (9.8 to 25.6 in), and weights from 0.3 to 3 kg (0.66 to 6.61 lb). [21] Coasters tend to be larger than most other populations of brook trout, often reaching 6 to 7 lb (2.7 to 3.2 kg) in size. Status: Not listed under the Endangered Species ActThe brook trout is a fish native to the eastern United States, and is often referred to as speckled trout, spotted trout, brookie, and squaretail. [24] The eggs are slightly denser than water. Though commonly called a trout, the brook trout is thus actually one of the chars, which in North America also include the lake trout, bull trout, Dolly Varden Most brook trout will not travel more than a mile to spawn. The brook trout is a popular game fish with anglers, particularly fly fishermen. On the other hand, three ecological forms are distinguished. Brook trout populations in several Southeast Alaska lakes have been evaluated in recent years The maximum age of fish sampled was 9 years with the majority of individuals younger than 5. [36] Streams and creeks that were polluted, dammed, or silted up often became too warm to hold native brook trout, and were colonized by transplanted smallmouth bass and perch or other introduced salmonids such as brown and rainbow trout. [20], A potamodromous population of brook trout native to Lake Superior, which migrate into tributary rivers to spawn, are called "coasters". The fish are typically fed a pelleted food consisting of 40–50% protein and 15% fat. Brook trout can reach at least seven years of age, with reports of 15-year-old specimens observed in California habitats to which the species has been introduced. They do need gravel, and cold flowing water, and will travel to seek it out. Such crosses are almost always reproductively sterile. It may also be helpful to ask yourself where a predator might have the hardest time seeing and catching a brook trout – that is where the bigger ones will be. As early as the late 19th century, native brook trout in North America became extirpated from many watercourses as land development, forest clear-cutting, and industrialization took hold. The female then buries the eggs in a small gravel mound; they hatch in 95 to 100 days. The fish return to freshwater tributaries to spawn in the late summer or autumn. - Skretting Australia", "Eastern Brook Trout: Status and Threats", "Royal Ontario Museum's page on the Aurora trout", "The Southern Appalachian Brook Trout Foundation", "Alien invasions in aquatic ecosystems: Toward an understanding of brook trout invasions and potential impacts on inland cutthroat trout in western North America", "Loved in Eastern Canada, Loathed in the Rockies: The Two Sides of Brook Trout", "SWG Final Report: Factors that influence invasion of nonnative brook trout (, "Under the Radar – The Trout Eradication Program Save the Fish", "Brook Trout Removal as a Conservation Tool to Restore Eagle Lake Rainbow Trout", "2013 Yellowstone National Park Fishing Regulations", "Daniel Webster and the Great Brook Trout", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Brook_trout&oldid=1001991190, Articles with unsourced statements from May 2014, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 22 January 2021, at 08:34. With no spines or heavy scales to be removed, they're also quick and easy to prepare for cooking. February 2018 [8][9], The splake is an intrageneric hybrid between the brook trout and lake trout (S. namaycush). The telemetry tagging was just one part of the data that I am collecting this summer. [30] A 29 in (74 cm) brook trout, caught in October 2006 in Manitoba, is not eligible for record status since it was released alive. How far are you willing to travel? [33] Because of its dependence on pure water and a variety of aquatic and insect life forms, the brook trout is also used for scientific experimentation in assessing the effects of pollution and contaminated waters. [23], When Europeans first settled Eastern North America, semianadromous or sea-run brook trout, commonly called "salters", ranged from southern New Jersey, north throughout the Canadian maritime provinces, and west to Hudson Bay. August 2017 [29], The current world angling record brook trout was caught by Dr. W. J. 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