Brook trout explained👇 Brook trout are North America’s iconic “native trout”. Anglers call them brookies, and catching one is like earning a badge from the backcountry: these fish live where the water is cold, clean, and oxygen-rich, tucked into shaded headwater streams and chilly lakes across eastern North America, often clinging to high-elevation mountain creeks where only the healthiest systems can support them. How To ID a Brookie: look for the signature worm-like yellow squiggles on the ba

As our state freshwater fish, brook trout, hold a pretty special place in New York’s natural history, but the effects from acid precipitation and competition with non-native fish have impacted their populations over the last several decades. Check out our latest video to learn more about what DEC Fisheries staff are doing to preserve heritage (native) strain brook trout in New York State. Spoiler alert: it’s pretty interesting! | NYS Department of Environmental Conservation