Species guide beginner

Brook Trout

Salvelinus fontinalis

A hard-biting, non-native char that tolerates cold, thin water and is often targeted for harvest to protect native species.

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Before you keep oneBrook trout are not native to BC and can outcompete native char and trout in some watersheds, which is why a number of waters carry liberal or unlimited daily quotas specifically to encourage anglers to harvest them. That said, rules are set water by water and can differ sharply between lakes and regions, so always check the current regulations for the specific water you're fishing rather than assuming a liberal limit applies.

Best season

Brook trout feed hard from ice-out through early summer, then again in fall as they stage to spawn, typically September into October. Fall fish are aggressive and often at their fattest before spawning. Winter is also prime time in BC. Brook trout handle cold, low-oxygen water under the ice better than rainbows, making them one of the most reliable ice fishing targets in the province.

Best time of day

Early morning and dusk produce the most consistent action in open water, especially on overcast days when fish move shallow to feed. Through the ice, brook trout often stay catchable across the whole day, including midday.

Technique

In small lakes and ponds, still-fishing bait under a slip float near drop-offs and inlet/outlet creeks is hard to beat, and slow trolling small spoons or spinners covers water well. In streams and beaver ponds, work upstream with spinners or drift nymphs through pocket water and undercut banks; brookies hold tight to cover and hit fast. Through the ice, jig a small spoon or jig tipped with bait just off bottom in 2.5 to 3.5 metres of water and be ready for an aggressive strike.

Where to find them

Look for cold, clean water: headwater creeks, beaver ponds, spring-fed streams, and small high-elevation lakes. Brook trout are an introduced species in BC, established through decades of stocking, and they persist in waters that are often too cold or low in oxygen for rainbow trout to thrive. In lakes, target shoal edges, inlet and outlet creeks, and weed-line drop-offs.

Bait & lures that work

Garden worms or nightcrawlers under a floatSmall spinners (Panther Martin, Mepps) in dark or bright colorsCompact spoons (Kastmaster, Little Cleo, Krocodile)Roe or egg-pattern flies where bait or roe use is permittedSmall jigs tipped with maggots or waxworms for ice fishingWooly buggers, attractor dries, and small nymphs for fly anglers

Where it's called out in BC's regulations

20 waters whose published rule specifically mentions brook trout. This isn't exhaustive, plenty of other waters hold this species too under the region's default limits without a water-specific line.

20 total