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Brook Trout

Brook Trout

Brook Trout are Tennessee's only native salmonid species and the state's most historically significant trout. Southern Appalachian Brook Trout are genetically distinct from northern strains.

Physical Characteristics:
  • Characterized by olive-green backs with distinctive marbled vermiculation patterns, red and yellow spots with blue halos, white-edged orange fins, and bright orange bellies during spawning.
  • Becoming more aggressive and colorful during spawning period.

What to know

Habitat Distribution

  • Found primarily in high-elevation headwater streams above 1,066m elevation, though historically they occurred as low as 490m.
  • In Tennessee, found primarily in eastern mountain counties.
  • Currently occupying about 230 km (144 miles) in 113 streams, representing roughly 24% of wild trout waters outside Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Key Locations

  • Cherokee National Forest, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, designated Wild Trout Streams including Laurel Fork, Beaverdam Creek, Paint Creek, Rocky Fork, Left Prong Hampton Creek, and Little Stony Creek.

Specific Spots

  • Boulder-strewn streams with plunge pools, focusing on pocket water behind cover.

Brook Trout FAQ

Answers from onWater's species guide.

What flies work for Brook Trout in Tennessee?

Adams Variant, Thunderhead, Orange Stimulator, Tan Elk Hair Caddis, Yellow Mayfly, Tellico Nymph, Green Wire Caddis Larva, and Micro Woolly Buggers. Bright-colored dry flies in yellow and orange are particularly effective. In fall, use smaller, darker mayflies, midges, and emergers.

When is the best time to fish for Brook Trout in Tennessee?

Late spring through early summer and again in September-October as temperatures cool, avoiding the October-November spawning period.

How do you catch Brook Trout in Tennessee?

Master bow-and-arrow casting and side-arm roll casts for dense rhododendron coverage. Target deeper pools during high water with nymphs and streamers fished dead-drifted or stripped. Fish pocket water behind cover.

What do Brook Trout eat?

Opportunistic feeders consuming aquatic adult insects (38.9%), terrestrial insects (19.5%), and immature dipterans (14.2%) as major food sources, along with small fish, crayfish, terrestrial hoppers, ants, mayflies, caddisflies, and small mammals.

Where do Brook Trout live in Tennessee?

Found primarily in high-elevation headwater streams above 1,066m elevation, though historically they occurred as low as 490m. In Tennessee, found primarily in eastern mountain counties.

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