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| Brook Trout | Credit: USFWS |
The brook trout is Michigan's official state fish. This colorful member of the char family is native to the Great Lakes region.
Brook trout have a large mouth and streamlined body shape that is typical of trout and char. They can display an array of colors, including olive, bluish gray, slate, or black above with a silverish white belly and wormlike markings (vermiculation pattern) along the back. Along their flanks are yellow blotches and red spots, which are sometimes surrounded by light blue halos.
Brook trout are found in cold water streams, around rocks, logs, and undercut banks. They are also found in the Great Lakes and smaller lakes throughout Michigan.
They prey mainly on mayflies, stoneflies, and other aquatic insects. Brook trout are opportunistic feeders and will feed on available food sources including, crustaceans, worms, and small fish.
Brook trout mature in about 1.5 to 2.5 years to mature, and they usually do not live longer than 6 years. Stream-dwelling brook trout typically reach 7 to 9 inches in length.
In offshore waters of the Great Lakes, coaster brook trout sometimes reaches 25 inches in length and weigh 10 pounds or more.
On the Lower Peninsula, the Black River system is considered to be one of the best brook trout streams in Michigan.
Brook trout are common throughout the Upper Peninsula, especially in streams that contain clear, cold water. In summer, brook trout often migrate to the headwaters of tributaries in search of colder water.
