Rainbow Trout vs Brook Trout: How to Tell Them Apart
Rainbow trout vs brook trout? Look at the side and the back. A rainbow trout has a pinkish to red stripe along its side and small black spots from head to tail. A brook trout has worm-like markings on its back, yellow and red spots with blue halos on its sides, and a white edge backed by black on its lower fins. Brook trout are native to eastern North America; rainbows are native to the Pacific coast and are now stocked almost everywhere.
Below is a side-by-side table, how to catch each one, and answers to the questions anglers ask most. Love trout? Browse our trout fishing shirts.
Rainbow trout vs brook trout at a glance
| Rainbow trout | Brook trout | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Oncorhynchus mykiss | Salvelinus fontinalis (a char) |
| Native range | Pacific coast, northern Mexico to Alaska | Eastern North America |
| Side marking | Pinkish to red band along the side | Yellow and red spots, red spots with blue halos |
| Spots | Small black spots head to tail | Spots lighter than the body |
| Back | Covered by the same small black spots | Worm-like (vermiculated) markings |
| Lower fins | No white-and-black edge | White leading edge backed by black |
| Tail | Wide and square | Nicknamed "square tail" |
Identification details in this guide come from the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife trout guide (MassWildlife).
How to identify a rainbow trout
MassWildlife says rainbow trout "get their name from their multicolored pattern." The three identifiers it lists are a pinkish to red longitudinal band, small black spots covering the fish from head to tail, and a wide, square tail. Rainbows are native "to Pacific coastal areas from northern Mexico to Alaska" and are now found on every continent except Antarctica.
They are a stocking favorite. In Massachusetts, rainbow trout make up more than 60% of hatchery production, and anglers like them for their "eagerness to bite, beautiful appearance, strong leaping ability, and large size when stocked."
How to identify a brook trout
Brook trout go by many names: eastern brook trout, brookies, square tails and brook char. Technically they are a char, not a true trout, which is why the spots are lighter than the body instead of darker. MassWildlife lists these identifiers:
- Worm-like markings along the back and head
- Yellow and red spots along the sides, the red ones surrounded by blue halos
- A white leading edge, backed by black, on the lower fins
- In fall spawning season, males often turn deep red along the belly and dark on the chin and throat
Wild brook trout are often small. MassWildlife notes mature wild fish are often under 8 inches, while hatchery brookies run 9 to 18 inches.
How to catch rainbow trout vs brook trout
Rainbow trout
Rainbows hit a wide range of baits and lures. In rivers, drift half a night crawler or a salmon egg into pools and holding spots behind boulders. Nymphs and small gold or silver spinners on ultra-light gear also work. In lakes and ponds, try small spoons, minnow imitations, streamers, weighted nymphs, worms and dough-style baits.
Brook trout
Stocked brookies are fairly easy to catch on flies, streamers, small spoons and spinners, worms and grasshoppers. Wild brook trout live in shaded small streams and spook easily, so approach quietly. MassWildlife suggests drifting a worm downstream under a tiny bobber, adding a split shot a few inches above the hook in fast water.
Is a speckled trout a trout?
Not in the freshwater sense. The "speckled trout" of the Gulf and Atlantic coasts (spotted seatrout) is a saltwater fish targeted with redfish and flounder. If that is your fish, read What Is a Texas Slam in Fishing?
What to wear trout fishing
Long days on the water mean sun on your arms and neck. Our trout shirts come in Long Sleeve UPF, Hooded Long Sleeve UPF, T-Shirt UPF and Kids styles, with options that vary by design, plus a custom name. Check each product page for the styles and sizes offered.
FAQ
What is the difference between a rainbow trout and a brook trout?
Rainbows have a pink to red side stripe and small black spots head to tail. Brook trout have worm-like markings on the back, red spots with blue halos and white-edged lower fins.
Is a brook trout a real trout?
Brook trout are a char (genus Salvelinus), which is why one of their common names is brook char. Anglers still call them trout.
Which tastes better, brook trout or rainbow trout?
It comes down to personal taste and where the fish came from. Many anglers release wild brook trout and keep stocked fish where local rules allow.
What trout hybrid is most common?
The tiger trout, a sterile cross between a male brook trout and a female brown trout, is the best-known hybrid. MassWildlife stocks about 2,500 each year.
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