According to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, North Carolina contains more streams capable of supporting brook, brown, and rainbow trout than any other state in the southeast. Because trout serve as an important game fish in North Carolina, their survival is not only important to the environment, but also the tourism and recreation industry.

Brook Trout


• Only trout native to North Carolina
• Populations have diminished due to loss of habitat, over-fishing, and competition with other trout
• Groups like the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission have placed special emphasis on preserving wild brook trout populations

Brown Trout


• Originally imported from Northern Europe
• Brown trout are known for their wariness and difficulty to catch
• Brown trout generally prefer larger and slower streams than brook and rainbow trout

Rainbow Trout


• Introduced from the Western U.S.
• Often the fish that is used to stock NC creeks
• While they still have relatively stringent habitat requirements, rainbow trout are more tolerant than brook trout and dominant when their populations overlap.

• Fish like trout, as well as many other aquatic organisms, have strict temperature requirements
• Trout and other cold blooded organisms lack the ability to control their own body temperature, leading their behavior, metabolism, and other bodily functions to be regulated by the temperature of the water around them
• When water temperatures are elevated, trout populations can diminish due to:
• Excessive metabolic rate
• Impaired juvenile development
• Increased vulnerability to disease
• Altered migration patterns
• Competition with other fish
• Temperature limits:
• Most North Carolina trout prefer water temperatures between 40-70°F
• Water temperatures outside this range induce stress and can be lethal
• Increased water temperature also leads to a decrease in dissolved oxygen, which is another important habitat constraint for trout