LodgeStream
See lodges, lakes, boats and cabins from across Ontario.
Cold water • wild colour
Ontario Brook Trout
Small streams, northern lakes and one of the most beautiful fish in Canada.
Ontario record: 14.50 lb
The Ontario water
Ontario record: 14.50 lb
Known for brilliant colour, brook trout have won the loyalty of generations of Ontario anglers. What many brookies lack in size they make up for in beauty, wild settings and a quick fight on light tackle.
Brook trout strike flies, spinners and live bait where permitted. They live in cold, clean water and are sensitive to warm temperatures, low oxygen and poor handling.
Creeks and streams hold brook trout in southern Ontario, while lakes become more important as you travel north. Northern rivers and cold remote lakes produce some of the province's largest fish.
FIELD NOTE
Read the current and keep them wet
Often called speckled trout, brookies wait beside rocks, undercut banks and boulders for insects and small prey. Approach quietly, make short accurate casts and use a rubber net. During warm weather, avoid fishing cold-water trout when water temperatures are high.
Watch Ontario fishing
Two videos. One next-trip idea.
Dave Mercer: Heavy-Cover Bass
Techniques for fishing weeds and thick largemouth cover.
Quick answers
Ontario fishing FAQ
Where can I catch brook trout in Ontario?
Brook trout live in cold creeks and streams across parts of Ontario and in many northern lakes and rivers.
What lures catch brook trout?
Small spinners, spoons and flies are dependable, with legal bait options varying by water and season.
Keep planning
Related Ontario fishing pages
Rainbow Trout & SteelheadFish Ontario rainbow trout and steelhead in Great Lakes tributaries, inland lakes and rivers with flies, roe, spoons and light tackle.
Ontario Lake TroutCatch Ontario lake trout by deep trolling, vertical jigging, spring casting and winter ice fishing in cold, clear lakes.
Ontario Salmon FishingFish Ontario Chinook, coho, pink and Atlantic salmon in the Great Lakes and tributaries by trolling, casting and drifting.