big brown trout habitatbig brown trout can grow to a large 40 pounds or more in some locations

The Brown Trout is well, brown in color. Well mostly brown with an olive green, brown or golden brown hue to its body.

The belly is white or yellowish and their body is covered with dark spots with a pale halo encircling them. This spotting is located on the top to middle part of their body, sometimes showing up on the head.

The tall fin is square and unhooked with a thick and stocky tail. On the adipose fin, there’s often a reddish hue ahead of the tail.

  • Sea-run Brown Trout are silver in color.

Those Brown Trout that are found in large lake systems, including the Great Lakes are silver like their ocean going browns.

Sometimes confused with Atlantic Salmon

This species can often be confused with the Atlantic Salmon. While both fish do look very different when they’re spawning, the ocean going colors are very similar. As such, both fish are often confused for each other by amateur anglers.

Both are silvery in color and have black spots on the back and upper sides when they are in freshwater. Sometimes these spots are red in color on both fish but are not available in salt water.

Brown Trout that live in the Great Lakes are much harder to differentiate from Atlantic Salmon.

Brown Trout Size

The Brown Trout is a medium sized trout in most locations. In fact it can grow to an impressive 40 pounds or more in some localities. Only fish like the Lake Trout can grow much bigger in freshwater lakes.

All Tackle Record

The current International Game Fish Association (IGFA) world all tackle record for the Brown Trout is 41.45 pounds/18.80 kilograms. It was caught by Tom Healy from Manistee river in Michigan.

The previous IGFA world all tackle record for the Brown Trout was 40 pounds, 4 ounces and was caught in May, 1992. It was caught from Little Red River, Arkansas by Howard “Rip” Collins.