Brook Trout Identification Guide

Key identification features

• Dark olive-green to greenish-black back marked with pale, worm-like (vermiculated) markings extending onto the dorsal fin
• Red spots surrounded by pale blue halos scattered along the sides
• Lower fins (pectoral, pelvic, anal) show a bright white leading edge followed by a black stripe, then orange-red
• Square to slightly forked tail fin, less forked than other trout and char
• Belly and lower sides often turn vivid orange-red in breeding males

Common look-alikes

• Brown trout: lighter golden-brown body with round black and red spots but no wavy vermiculated back pattern and no white-edged fins
• Lake trout: lacks red spots entirely, instead showing pale cream spots on a darker body, with a much more deeply forked tail
• Rainbow trout: has a pink lateral stripe and small black spots covering the tail, features brook trout do not share

Where you'll see one

Found in cold, clear headwater streams, spring-fed creeks, and mountain lakes across northeastern North America (and introduced elsewhere), requiring well-oxygenated, low-temperature water.