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BC Conservation Data Centre: Species Summary


Salvelinus fontinalis
Brook Trout

 
Scientific Name: Salvelinus fontinalis (Mitchill, 1814)
English Name: Brook Trout
 
Classification / Taxonomy
Scientific Name - Concept Reference: Robins, C.R., R.M. Bailey, C.E. Bond, J.R. Brooker, E.A. Lachner, R.N. Lea, and W.B. Scott. 1991. Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States and Canada. American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 20. 183 pp.
Classification Level: Species
Species Group: Vertebrate Animal
Species Code: F-SAFO
Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family
Animalia Craniata Actinopterygii Salmoniformes Salmonidae
   
Conservation Status / Legal Designation
Global Status: G5 (Aug 2015)
Provincial Status: SNA (Jul 2025)
BC List: Exotic
Provincial FRPA list:   
Provincial Wildlife Act:
COSEWIC Status:
SARA Schedule:
General Status Canada: 4 - Secure (2005)
   
Ecology & Life History
General Description:
Global Reproduction Comments: Spawning occurs in late summer (in north) or fall (October-November in many areas). Eggs hatch in 47 days at 10 C, in 165 days at 2.8 C. In Ontario, alevin emergence occurred over a 71-day period, coinciding with the spring thaw and an episodic pH depression (Snucins et al. 1992). Sexually mature in 2-3 years (also reported as first year for males, 2nd year for females). Only small percentages of returning migrants actually spawn; post-spawning mortality generally is low (Stearley 1992). In dense, small-stream populations, few live more than 3 years, whereas some live 9-10 years in large rivers and lakes in the northern part of the range (Behnke 2002).
Global Ecology Comments: Adults in streams may defend small feeding territories that extend several body lengths in diameter (Grant et al. 1989). In experimental stream communities, Resetarits 1991 found that brook trout negatively affected both growth and survival of the salamander GYRINOPHILUS PORPHYRITICUS; the presence of GYRINOPHILUS had no affect on relative condition or fecundity of SALVELINUS. SALVELINUS and GYRINOPHILUS affected the growth of the two-lined salamander EURYCEA and the crayfish CAMBARUS BARTONII. SALVELINUS caused CAMBARUS and EURYCEA to alter their activity levels and habitat; EURYCEA and CAMBARUS were able to avoid predation by SALVELINUS and GYRINOPHILUS but at a significant cost to growth.
Migration Characteristics:
(Global / Provincial)		 
    Nonmigrant:
    Local Migrant:
    Distant Migrant:
    Within Borders Migrant: 		Y /
Y /
N /
na /
Global Migration Comments: Some populations spawn and undergo considerable development in fresh water but also feed and develop to some extent in salt water (Hartel et al. 2002). These "salters" or "sea trout" may coexist with nonmigratory brook trout. The timing of seaward migration is variable but generally occurs in spring in northern latitudes (Naiman et al. 1987). Migrants spend a few days to 4 months in coastal seawater not far (usually less than 45 kilometers) from their natal stream (Mullan 1958, Smith and Saunders 1958, Bergin 1984, Naiman et al. 1987, Montgomery et al. 1990, Ryther 1997). Although sea-run populations often are referred to as being "anadromous," they are most accurately classified as "amphidromous" because they make regular feeding migrations to the sea while still undergoing significant freshwater growth (Collette and Klein-McPhee 2002).

Adults in some populations migrate seasonally between lakes and tributary streams. In the Great Lakes, these brook trout are known as "coasters." Some coasters remain permanently in lakes.

Movement can be extensive even within streams. For example, in the Kennebecasis River, New Brunswick, brook trout moved upstream 65-100 kilometers in spring after ice loss; summer movements were minimal; movements to spawning areas in fall were less than 10 kilometers, then the fish moved back downstream to wintering areas in the lower to middle reaches of the river (Curry et al. 2002).
Habitats:
(Type / Subtype / Dependence)
Global Habitat Comments: Most populations occur in clear, cool, well-oxygenated creeks, small to medium rivers, and lakes. Individuals may move from streams into lakes or the sea to avoid high temperatures in summer. Some populations migrate between freshwater and saltwater habitats. Other populations (known as "coasters") live in lakes and migrate to streams to spawn, or they remain in the lake to spawn. Preferred water temperature is around 14-16 C; brook trout do poorly where water temperature exceeds 20 C for extended periods (see Sublette et al. 1990). Spawning occurs in cool water (usually less than 15 C) usually over gravel beds in shallow headwaters but also may occur in gravelly shallows of lakes if spring (groundwater) upwelling and moderate current or nearby surficial inflow (Quinn 1995) are present. Eggs are buried in nests in gravel. In Ontario, eggs were buried at 7-20 cm in bottom substrate (Snucins et al. 1992).
Food Habits: Invertivore: Adult, Immature
Piscivore: Adult, Immature
Global Food Habits Comments: Feeds opportunistically on various invertebrate and vertebrate animals, including primarily terrestrial and aquatic insects and planktonic crustaceans. In estuarine and marine habitats, the diet includes various fishes and crustaceans (see Collette and Klein-McPhee 2002).
Global Phenology:
Global Phenology Comments: Most feeding in early morning and evening (Sublette et al. 1990).
Provincial Phenology:
(1st half of month/
2nd half of month)
Colonial Breeder: N
Length(cm)/width(cm)/Weight(g): 40/ /
Elevation (m) (min / max): Global: 
Provincial: 
   
 
Distribution
Endemic: N
Global Range Comment: This species is native to most of eastern Canada and the northeastern United States, from Newfoundland to the southwestern side of Hudson Bay, and south in the Atlantic, Great Lakes, and Mississippi River basins to Minnesota, northeastern Iowa, Wisconsin, Lake Michigan (but not Illinois streams), Chagrin River (Lake Erie drainage) in northeastern Ohio, northern New Jersey, New England, and southward in the Atlantic and Mississippi basins of the Appalachian Mountains to northern Georgia (Smith 1979, Trautman 1981, Becker 1983, Cooper 1983, Smith 1985, Etnier and Starnes 1993, Jenkins and Burkhead 1994, Menhinick 2001, Behnke 2002, Hartel et al. 2002, Moyle 2002, Bailey et al. 2004). Sea-run populations at least formerly extended from the Atlantic provinces of Canada to Long Island, New York (Scott and Crossman 1973), including Hudson Bay (Behnke 2002). Brook trout have been introduced in most of the lower peninsula of Michigan, western North America, and temperate regions in many other parts of the world.
 
Authors / Contributors
Global Information Author: Hammerson, G.
Last Updated: Feb 29, 2008
Provincial Information Author:
Last Updated:
   
References and Related Literature
Becker, G. C. 1983. Fishes of Wisconsin. University of Wisconsin Press, Madison. 1,052 pp.
Brasch, J., J. McFaden, and S. Kmiotek. 1973. Brook trout, life history, ecology, and management. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Publication 226-73.15 pp.
Brasch, J.G., J.M. McFadden, and S. Kmiotek. 1958. The eastern brook trout: its life history, ecology, and management. Wisconsin Conservation Department, Publication 226:1-11.
Bridges, C.H. and J.W. Mullan (eds.). 1958. A compendium of the life history and ecology of the eastern brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis (Mitchill). Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Game, Fisheries Bulletin 23:1-37.
Estes, R. D., ed. 1983. Bibliography of the eastern brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis. Southeastern Division, American Fisheries Society, Cookeville, Tennessee. 33 pp.
Estes, R.D. 1986. An annotated bibliography of the management of the eastern brook trout. Tennessee Cooperative Research Unit, Cookeville, Tennessee. 54 pp.
Grant, J. W. A., D. L. G. Noakes, and K. M. Jonas. 1989. Spatial distribution of defence and foraging in young-of-the-year brook char, Salvelinus fontinalis. Journal of Animal Ecology 58:773-784.
Larson, G. L., and S. E. Moore. 1985. Encroachment of exotic rainbow trout into stream populations of native brook trout in the southern Appalachian Mountains. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 114:195-203.
Lee, D. S., C. R. Gilbert, C. H. Hocutt, R. E. Jenkins, D. E. McAllister, and J. R. Stauffer, Jr. 1980. Atlas of North American freshwater fishes. North Carolina State Museum of Natural History, Raleigh, North Carolina. i-x + 854 pp.
Metcalfe, C. D. 1989. Tests for predicting carcinogenicity in fish. Reviews in Aquatic Sciences 1(1):111-129.
Page, L. M., and B. M. Burr. 1991. A field guide to freshwater fishes: North America north of Mexico. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. 432 pp.
Quinn, N. W. S. 1995. General features of brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis, spawning sites in lakes in Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario. Canadian Field-Naturalist 109:205-209.
Resetarits, W. J., Jr. 1991. Ecological interactions among predators in experimental stream communities. Ecology 72:1782-1793.
Robins, C.R., R.M. Bailey, C.E. Bond, J.R. Brooker, E.A. Lachner, R.N. Lea, and W.B. Scott. 1991. Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States and Canada. American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 20. 183 pp.
Scott, W. B., and E. J. Crossman. 1973. Freshwater fishes of Canada. Fisheries Research Board of Canada, Bulletin 184. 966 pp.
Snucins, E. J., R. A. Curry, and J. M. Gunn. 1992. Brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) embryo habitat and timing of alevin emergence in a lake and a stream. Canadian Journal of Zoology 70(3):423-427.
Stearley, R. F. 1992. Historical ecology of Salmoninae, with special reference to Oncorhynchus. Pages 622-658 in R.L. Mayden, editor. Systematics, historical ecology, and North American freshwater fishes. Stanford University Press, Stanford, California. xxvi + 969 pp.
Stoltz, J., and J. Schnell (eds.). 1991. Trout: The Wildlife Series. Stackpole Books, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. 384 pp.
Sublette, J. E., M. D Hatch, and M. Sublette. 1990. The fishes of New Mexico. University New Mexico Press, Albuquerque, New Mexico. 393 pp.
 

Please visit the website Conservation Status Ranks for definitions of the data fields used in this summary report.

Suggested Citation:

B.C. Conservation Data Centre. 2008. Species Summary: Salvelinus fontinalis. B.C. Minist. of Environment. Available: https://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/eswp/ (accessed Sep 28, 2025).