DESCRIPTION
-
The average length is 10-12 inches but
Brook Trout can be caught measuring up
to 21 inches and weighing 4-6 pounds.
The largest Brook trout on record was
14.5 pounds and caught in 1916 in the
Nipigon River in Ontario. Breeding males
develop a hook at the front of the lower
jaw. Typical coloring is olive-green to
dark brown on the back with silvery sides
and pale spotting. All colors intensify
at spawning time.
DISTRIBUTION
- The brook trout is native to northern
North America and is widely distributed
throughout the maritime provinces. It
occurs in clear, cool, well-oxygenated
streams and lakes.
BIOLOGY
- This species spawns in late summer or
autumn in gravel beds in the shallows
of headwaters of streams. The female digs
the redd where she lays 100-5000 eggs
depending on her size. They hatch 50-100
days later. The life expectancy is an
average of five years. The brook trout
is carnivorous and feed upon a wide range
of organisms. They have been known to
eat their own eggs at spawning time and
even their own young.
RELATION
TO MAN - This is one of the most popular
game fish in Canada and is fished by artificial
fly, spin casting or live bait.
