Brook Trout
The Brook Trout is officially classified as a char, though we all think of it as a trout! It’s not native to Montana, having been brought west by the settlers to remind them of home. Brook Trout have rigorous environmental requirements, needing cold water to survive. Many of the Brook Trout in Missoula are found in the headwaters or cold alpine lakes, due to the freestone nature of our Missoula rivers. The Brook Trout is a voracious feeder, and you will take relatively small Brook Trout on streamers, because they will aggressively take food as it presents itself. The Brook Trout is easily identified by the vermiculated pattern on their backs, and the multi-colored fins with a white leading edge. It’s the white leading edge that distinguishes the Brook Trout from the Bull Trout. The Brook Trout is a fall spawner, and if you take a Brook Trout in spawning colors, it’s a magnificent site. Colorful as few trout are, a spawning Brook Trout is one of the most beautiful trout in the world.
