Brown Trout
Salmo trutta
Introduced from Europe and now naturalized across Ontario, the brown trout is a wary, hard-fighting fish with buttery flanks dotted in black and red spots. It supports blue-ribbon tailwater river fisheries and a strong Great Lakes shoreline run.
Cool, clean rivers with cover and Great Lakes shorelines; feeds heavily at low light.
How to Catch Brown Trout
Whether you're new to targeting Brown Trout or refining your approach, success starts with matching your tactics to where the fish lives. Brown Trout (Salmo trutta) is typically found in river water and lake water, so concentrate your effort where those conditions line up. Mature Brown Trout average around 14 inches, which helps you choose the right line, lure size, and tackle for the fight.
Where to Find Brown Trout in the USA & Canada
Brown Trout is recorded across a range of North American waters, including spots in Alberta, Arizona, Arkansas, British Columbia, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Brunswick, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Newfoundland and Labrador, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nova Scotia, Ohio, Oklahoma, Ontario, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Quebec, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Browse the linked water guides below to see the specific lakes, rivers, and coastal waters where anglers report catching Brown Trout, then plan a trip around the water closest to you.
Brown Trout Fishing Regulations & Limits
Fishing rules for Brown Trout vary by state and province. Before you head out, check the daily bag limits, minimum size limits, and open seasons that apply in your area. When FishFinder has matching records, the regulations link below takes you to the rules hub. Following local limits keeps Brown Trout populations healthy for future seasons.
Related Water Guides for Brown Trout
Explore these FishFinder water guides for places where Brown Trout is recorded:
- Lake Erie — Brown Trout fishing water
- Yellowstone River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Lake Ontario — Brown Trout fishing water
- Bow River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Nottawasaga River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Saugeen River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Grand River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Credit River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Cowichan River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Crowsnest River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Pembina River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Lac Massawippi — Brown Trout fishing water
- Loch Lomond Reservoir — Brown Trout fishing water
- Meduxnekeag River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Margaree River — Brown Trout fishing water
- St. Mary's River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Musquodoboit River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Mersey River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Cornwallis River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Stewiacke River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Humber River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Lees Ferry — Brown Trout fishing water
- Chevelon Canyon Lake — Brown Trout fishing water
- Norfork Tailwater — Brown Trout fishing water
- Little Red River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Spring River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Shasta Lake — Brown Trout fishing water
- Lake Almanor — Brown Trout fishing water
- Blue Mesa Reservoir — Brown Trout fishing water
- Lake Granby — Brown Trout fishing water
- Grand Lake (Colorado) — Brown Trout fishing water
- Ruedi Reservoir — Brown Trout fishing water
- Gunnison River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Fryingpan River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Roaring Fork River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Yampa River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Vallecito Reservoir — Brown Trout fishing water
- Spinney Mountain Reservoir — Brown Trout fishing water
- Eleven Mile Reservoir — Brown Trout fishing water
- Arkansas River (Colorado) — Brown Trout fishing water
- South Platte River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Candlewood Lake — Brown Trout fishing water
- Squantz Pond — Brown Trout fishing water
- Highland Lake — Brown Trout fishing water
- Farmington River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Housatonic River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Naugatuck River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Tidbury Pond — Brown Trout fishing water
- Newton Pond — Brown Trout fishing water
- White Clay Creek — Brown Trout fishing water
- Red Clay Creek — Brown Trout fishing water
- Wilson Run — Brown Trout fishing water
- Chattahoochee River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Toccoa River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Waters Creek — Brown Trout fishing water
- Magic Reservoir — Brown Trout fishing water
- Silver Creek — Brown Trout fishing water
- Big Wood River — Brown Trout fishing water
- American Falls Reservoir — Brown Trout fishing water
- Henrys Fork — Brown Trout fishing water
- South Fork Snake River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Salmon River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Lake Michigan (Illinois Waters) — Brown Trout fishing water
- White River — Brown Trout fishing water
- St. Joseph River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Lake Michigan (Indiana Waters) — Brown Trout fishing water
- Brookville Lake — Brown Trout fishing water
- Upper Iowa River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Turkey River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Spring Branch — Brown Trout fishing water
- French Creek — Brown Trout fishing water
- Kanopolis Reservoir — Brown Trout fishing water
- Dale Hollow Lake — Brown Trout fishing water
- Cumberland River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Sebago Lake — Brown Trout fishing water
- Kennebec River — Brown Trout fishing water
- China Lake — Brown Trout fishing water
- Damariscotta Lake — Brown Trout fishing water
- Androscoggin River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Saco River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Deep Creek Lake — Brown Trout fishing water
- Youghiogheny River Lake — Brown Trout fishing water
- Youghiogheny River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Savage River — Brown Trout fishing water
- North Branch Potomac River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Gunpowder Falls — Brown Trout fishing water
- Casselman River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Patapsco River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Patuxent River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Wachusett Reservoir — Brown Trout fishing water
- Onota Lake — Brown Trout fishing water
- South Pond (Quacumquasit Pond) — Brown Trout fishing water
- Congamond Lakes — Brown Trout fishing water
- Deerfield River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Swift River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Millers River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Nissitissit River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Squannacook River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Westfield River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Ware River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Quaboag River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Ipswich River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Housatonic River (Massachusetts) — Brown Trout fishing water
- Au Sable River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Manistee River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Pere Marquette River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Whitewater River, North Branch — Brown Trout fishing water
- Root River, Middle Branch — Brown Trout fishing water
- Lake Superior (Minnesota) — Brown Trout fishing water
- Knife River (Minnesota) — Brown Trout fishing water
- Lake Taneycomo — Brown Trout fishing water
- Current River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Eleven Point River (Missouri) — Brown Trout fishing water
- North Fork of the White River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Meramec River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Niangua River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Kootenai River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Bitterroot River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Clark Fork River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Blackfoot River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Rock Creek (near Missoula) — Brown Trout fishing water
- Beaverhead River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Big Hole River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Madison River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Missouri River (Montana) — Brown Trout fishing water
- Canyon Ferry Reservoir — Brown Trout fishing water
- Hauser Reservoir — Brown Trout fishing water
- Holter Reservoir — Brown Trout fishing water
- Gallatin River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Jefferson River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Ruby River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Smith River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Clark Canyon Reservoir — Brown Trout fishing water
- Bighorn River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Marias River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Lake Tahoe (Nevada) — Brown Trout fishing water
- Topaz Lake — Brown Trout fishing water
- Truckee River — Brown Trout fishing water
- East Walker River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Cave Lake — Brown Trout fishing water
- Eagle Valley Reservoir — Brown Trout fishing water
- Lake Francis — Brown Trout fishing water
- Umbagog Lake — Brown Trout fishing water
- Androscoggin River (New Hampshire) — Brown Trout fishing water
- Connecticut River (New Hampshire) — Brown Trout fishing water
- Saco River (New Hampshire) — Brown Trout fishing water
- Sugar River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Contoocook River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Pemigewasset River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Lake Hopatcong — Brown Trout fishing water
- Round Valley Reservoir — Brown Trout fishing water
- Merrill Creek Reservoir — Brown Trout fishing water
- Lake Aeroflex — Brown Trout fishing water
- Lake Wawayanda — Brown Trout fishing water
- White Lake — Brown Trout fishing water
- Raritan River South Branch — Brown Trout fishing water
- Musconetcong River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Pequest River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Toms River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Big Flat Brook — Brown Trout fishing water
- Pequannock River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Manasquan River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Rockaway River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Ramapo River — Brown Trout fishing water
- El Vado Lake — Brown Trout fishing water
- Abiquiu Lake — Brown Trout fishing water
- Fenton Lake — Brown Trout fishing water
- Santa Cruz Lake — Brown Trout fishing water
- San Juan River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Rio Grande — Brown Trout fishing water
- Rio Chama — Brown Trout fishing water
- Pecos River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Cimarron River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Red River (New Mexico) — Brown Trout fishing water
- Rio Guadalupe — Brown Trout fishing water
- Lake Erie (New York) — Brown Trout fishing water
- Lake Ontario (New York) — Brown Trout fishing water
- Lower Niagara River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Salmon River (New York) — Brown Trout fishing water
- Lake Champlain — Brown Trout fishing water
- Seneca Lake — Brown Trout fishing water
- Cayuga Lake — Brown Trout fishing water
- Keuka Lake — Brown Trout fishing water
- Canandaigua Lake — Brown Trout fishing water
- Owasco Lake — Brown Trout fishing water
- Skaneateles Lake — Brown Trout fishing water
- Otisco Lake — Brown Trout fishing water
- Ashokan Reservoir — Brown Trout fishing water
- Pepacton Reservoir — Brown Trout fishing water
- Neversink Reservoir — Brown Trout fishing water
- Delaware River (New York) — Brown Trout fishing water
- West Branch Delaware River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Beaver Kill — Brown Trout fishing water
- Willowemoc Creek — Brown Trout fishing water
- West Branch Ausable River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Dan River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Davidson River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Nantahala River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Tuckasegee River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Wilson Creek — Brown Trout fishing water
- South Toe River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Watauga River — Brown Trout fishing water
- East Prong Roaring River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Helton Creek — Brown Trout fishing water
- South Fork New River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Green River (North Carolina) — Brown Trout fishing water
- Linville River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Apalachia Reservoir — Brown Trout fishing water
- Catawba River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Garrison Dam Tailrace — Brown Trout fishing water
- Mad River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Clear Fork Mohican River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Lower Mountain Fork River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Blue River (Oklahoma) — Brown Trout fishing water
- Lower Illinois River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Diamond Lake — Brown Trout fishing water
- East Lake — Brown Trout fishing water
- Lake Billy Chinook — Brown Trout fishing water
- Owyhee River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Walnut Creek — Brown Trout fishing water
- Delaware River (Pennsylvania) — Brown Trout fishing water
- Allegheny River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Youghiogheny River (Pennsylvania) — Brown Trout fishing water
- Raystown Lake — Brown Trout fishing water
- Lake Wallenpaupack — Brown Trout fishing water
- Harveys Lake — Brown Trout fishing water
- Spring Creek — Brown Trout fishing water
- Penns Creek — Brown Trout fishing water
- Letort Spring Run — Brown Trout fishing water
- Big Spring Creek — Brown Trout fishing water
- Yellow Breeches Creek — Brown Trout fishing water
- Little Lehigh Creek — Brown Trout fishing water
- Slate Run — Brown Trout fishing water
- Pine Creek — Brown Trout fishing water
- Oil Creek — Brown Trout fishing water
- Tulpehocken Creek — Brown Trout fishing water
- Wood River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Beaver River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Falls River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Pawcatuck River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Blackstone River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Branch River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Moosup River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Hunt River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Ten Mile River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Pawtuxet River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Wyoming Pond — Brown Trout fishing water
- Beach Pond — Brown Trout fishing water
- Wallum Lake — Brown Trout fishing water
- Watchaug Pond — Brown Trout fishing water
- Olney Pond — Brown Trout fishing water
- Carbuncle Pond — Brown Trout fishing water
- Stafford Pond — Brown Trout fishing water
- Barber Pond — Brown Trout fishing water
- Carolina Trout Pond — Brown Trout fishing water
- Silver Spring Lake — Brown Trout fishing water
- Breakheart Pond — Brown Trout fishing water
- Tiogue Lake — Brown Trout fishing water
- Saluda River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Lake Russell — Brown Trout fishing water
- Lake Jocassee — Brown Trout fishing water
- Chattooga River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Chauga River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Eastatoe Creek — Brown Trout fishing water
- Middle Saluda River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Whitewater River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Pactola Reservoir — Brown Trout fishing water
- Sheridan Lake (South Dakota) — Brown Trout fishing water
- Stockade Lake — Brown Trout fishing water
- Rapid Creek — Brown Trout fishing water
- Spearfish Creek — Brown Trout fishing water
- Castle Creek — Brown Trout fishing water
- Boone Lake — Brown Trout fishing water
- South Holston Reservoir — Brown Trout fishing water
- Watauga Lake — Brown Trout fishing water
- Caney Fork River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Elk River (Tennessee) — Brown Trout fishing water
- Clinch River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Hiwassee River — Brown Trout fishing water
- South Fork Holston River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Obey River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Tellico River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Guadalupe River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Flaming Gorge Reservoir — Brown Trout fishing water
- Jordanelle Reservoir — Brown Trout fishing water
- Deer Creek Reservoir — Brown Trout fishing water
- Starvation Reservoir — Brown Trout fishing water
- Green River (Utah) — Brown Trout fishing water
- Provo River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Logan River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Weber River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Blacksmith Fork River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Lake Moomaw — Brown Trout fishing water
- Jackson River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Smith River (Virginia) — Brown Trout fishing water
- Mossy Creek — Brown Trout fishing water
- Elk River (West Virginia) — Brown Trout fishing water
- South Branch Potomac River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Shavers Fork of Cheat River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Cranberry River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Blackwater River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Williams River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Green Bay — Brown Trout fishing water
- Lake Michigan (Wisconsin Waters) — Brown Trout fishing water
- Lake Superior (Wisconsin Waters) — Brown Trout fishing water
- Menominee River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Namekagon River — Brown Trout fishing water
- Geneva Lake — Brown Trout fishing water
- Big Green Lake — Brown Trout fishing water
- High Savery Reservoir — Brown Trout fishing water
- Green River (Wyoming) — Brown Trout fishing water
- North Platte River (Wyoming) — Brown Trout fishing water
- Fontenelle Reservoir — Brown Trout fishing water
- Pathfinder Reservoir — Brown Trout fishing water
- Alcova Reservoir — Brown Trout fishing water
- Lake Hattie — Brown Trout fishing water
- Palisades Reservoir (Wyoming) — Brown Trout fishing water
- Granite Reservoir — Brown Trout fishing water
- Crystal Reservoir (Wyoming) — Brown Trout fishing water
Brown Trout Regulations
Review current FishFinder regulation records before targeting Brown Trout:
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of water is best for catching Brown Trout?
Brown Trout (Salmo trutta) is typically found in river water and lake water. Focus your effort where those conditions line up to improve your chances.
How big does Brown Trout get?
Mature Brown Trout average around 14 inches, though individual fish can run larger. Matching your line, lure size, and tackle to that range makes for a better fight and landing rate.
Where can I catch Brown Trout in the USA and Canada?
Brown Trout is reported across North American waters, including spots in Alberta, Arizona, Arkansas, British Columbia, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Brunswick, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Newfoundland and Labrador, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nova Scotia, Ohio, Oklahoma, Ontario, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Quebec, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Check the locations listed on this page to find the lakes, rivers, and coastal waters closest to you.
Do I need a fishing license to catch Brown Trout?
A valid fishing license is required in most US states and Canadian provinces. Daily bag limits, minimum size limits, and open seasons for Brown Trout vary by region, so review the regulations on this page and with your local wildlife authority before heading out.