Brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis

Identifying characteristics: Brook trout from streams have pale markings on a dark green background. The back is covered with wormlike marks. Lake Superior fish are more silvery with less distinct markings. In both stream and lake fish, the tail is nearly square, and the leading edge of each lower fin has a white margin. The brook trout rarely exceeds a pound in small streams. Lakes produce larger fish. The brook trout originally inhabited Lake Superior and many small cold lakes and streams throughout the state.

These beautiful trout are also Michigan's Official State Fish after being assigned in 1988.

The brook trout takes a fly more readily than the rainbow or brown trout. It is protected less by any innate wariness than the fact that it typically inhabits tiny alder-choked creeks that are difficult to fish.

A Brook Trout is without question of the prettiest fishes on this great earth. The Coaster Brook Trout is currently getting a lot of attention from both the DNR and Trout Unlimited. They would like to see the population of Coasters increase to what it was in the past. I think we would all like to see that happen.

State  Brook Trout Records for Michigan

Species

County

Waterbody

Year

Record End Date

Weight (lbs)

Length (in)

Angler

BROOK TROUT	Houghton	CLEAR LAKE	1996	current	9.50	28.10	Dennis Nevins
BROOK TROUT	Delta	LITTLE BAY DE NOC	1991	3/17/1996	6.76	26.00	Leon C. Dube
BROOK TROUT	Menominee	LAKE MICHIGAN	1988	3/25/1991	6.76	24.50	Jeff Johnson