Brown Trout

Interesting Info

• Not native to Australia — Brown Trout were introduced from Europe in the 1860s and quickly established in cool southern rivers and lakes, especially in Tasmania, Victoria, and the Snowy Mountains.
• They are beautifully patterned fish, usually golden-brown with dark spots ringed in pale halos, and often a sprinkling of red or orange spots along their sides. Their colours can change depending on water type — river fish are darker, while lake fish can look more silver.
• Brown Trout need cool, clean, oxygen-rich waters — they thrive in fast-flowing mountain rivers, upland lakes, and even hydroelectric dams, but struggle if water temperatures climb too high.
• They are voracious predators, feeding on aquatic insects, mayflies, caddisfly larvae, freshwater shrimp, and even other fish. Larger trout often switch to a mostly fish-based diet.
• Known for being wary and clever, they are a real challenge for anglers. In clear water they can spot fishing line, so fly fishing with delicate presentations is the most effective technique.
• Brown Trout are important to recreational fishing in Australia, attracting thousands of anglers each year and supporting a strong eco-tourism industry, especially in Tasmania where the fishery is world famous.
• Brown Trout are often called “the thinking angler’s fish”, because they are cautious, adapt to their environment, and can be incredibly challenging to catch — making them a prized trophy for Australian and international anglers alike.
• Breeding happens in winter to early spring. Females migrate upstream into gravelly creeks, where they dig a shallow nest called a “redd” and lay thousands of eggs. Males fertilise them, and the eggs incubate over several months before hatching in late spring.
• Their lifespan in the wild is usually 4–6 years, but in colder Tasmanian lakes some survive past 10 years. In hatcheries or managed fisheries, they may live a little longer.