- Where to see one
- 3 U.S. zoos in our directory hold brook trout, confirmed against each zoo's own animal list.
Conservation status
Not Evaluated
This species has not been assessed for the IUCN Red List, so it sits outside the threat scale entirely.
About the brook trout
The brook trout is a freshwater fish of the char genus Salvelinus, native to eastern North America. Its olive-green to brown body shows a marbled pattern on the back and flanks, scattered red spots ringed in blue, and orange fins edged in white and black. It lives in cold, clear lakes, rivers, streams and spring ponds, feeding on aquatic and terrestrial insects, crustaceans, frogs, smaller fish and worms. Lake Superior's long-lived "coasters" can exceed 2 feet in length, while sea-run "salters" are shorter-lived. Introduced widely since the 1800s, it is included among the top 100 globally invasive species.
Brook Trout facts
- The species name fontinalis means "of a spring or fountain" in Latin.
- Hybrids include the tiger trout (with brown trout) and the splake (with lake trout).
- The silver trout, possibly a form of brook trout, was last seen in New Hampshire in 1930.
- Coasters live in Lake Superior and migrate into tributary rivers to spawn.
Where to see brook trout in the U.S.
3 zoos across 3 states
Find the closest one
Rank the 3 zoos holding brook trout by how far they are from you. Your location is used in your browser to sort this list and is never sent to us.
Connecticut· 1
New Hampshire· 1
Virginia· 1
AZAThe Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Accredited members have passed an independent inspection of animal care and welfare, safety, conservation and education, repeated every five years. Many smaller facilities never apply, so “not accredited” isn't a verdict on its own. What accreditation means · How we check this
Built from each zoo's own published animal list.
