Brown trout

German trout, Loch Leven trout

Salmo trutta

Truite brune, truite allemande, truite Loch Leven

Body Shape:Body elongated and laterally compressed, but stockier than other salmonids.

Average size: 30 to 40 cm (0.5 to 1 kg). Up to 57 cm and over 7 kg in Quebec.

Coloring:Dark spots on a pale background. Brown to olive brown back; sides more silvery with dark spots surrounded by a pale ring and rust spots; dark spots on the dorsal and adipose fins, occasional and not very defined on the caudal fin.
In large lakes or in salt water, general body coloration silvery with no obvious spot.

Characteristic external features: Large mouth with well developed teeth; hook sometimes present in front of lower jaw of spawning males; adipose fin far behind the dorsal fin; dorsal and pelvic fins in the center of the body length; caudal fin square (slightly forked in the young).