Author: Jacob Rash
As North Carolina’s only native trout, the brook trout is the official freshwater fish of our state and is near and dear to so many. Numerous generations of Western North Carolinians have grown up fishing for, or hearing about, “specks” (the name often used locally), while many anglers continue to travel to our mountains to fish and create their own stories. Approximately 370,000 anglers fished the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission’s Public Mountain Trout Waters in 2022, which generated close to $1.4 billion for the state’s economy. Even if someone is not aware of the fish, one glimpse at their beauty or the mountain streams they call home can capture one’s imagination.
Brook trout face significant challenges to their survival. They only live in a small fraction of waters where they once thrived. Historical and ongoing impacts to streams have reduced the clean, cold-water environment (habitat) they depend on, while interactions with non-native rainbow trout and brown trout result in competition for remaining habitats and food.
Therefore, we at the Commission work tirelessly with our partners to help this special fish across our mountains. We identify and monitor existing populations annually, which can be challenging given most locations are over 3,000 feet in elevation. Extensive genetic evaluations help inform our efforts to bring brook trout back to waters where they have been lost, and efforts to maintain and enhance cold-water habitats help to ensure these sensitive fish have a home.
These efforts “on top of the mountain” are not only impactful for brook trout, but by having healthy brook trout populations, waters that support them ultimately flow downstream in better conditions themselves…something we all benefit from.
