Brook Trout - Montana Fly Fishing Species
The high country of Montana is where you’ll find brook trout.
They have a distinctive marbled pattern on their backs and bright white stripes on the front edge of their bottom fins. The red dots surrounded by blue halos on their flanks offer a sure sign of brook trout.
Another non-native fish species in the state, brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) were introduced across Montana in the late 1800s and have been a steadfast gamefish in headwater streams and alpine lakes ever since.
Brook trout thrive in small, cold streams and are rarely encountered in the mainstem Montana fly fishing rivers.
Generally, under 10 inches in length, trophy brook trout up to 9 pounds have been recorded in the state.