Sea-Run Brook Trout

Habitat: Salters are considered diadromous as they will leave freshwater and enter saltwater if they need thermal refuge or food. They are not technically anadromous (fish that live in saltwater and spawn in freshwater) as they live and spawn in freshwater. Their preferred habitat is water between 44 and 64 degrees Fahrenheit. Due to climate change, some of the rivers and creeks that sea-run brook trout inhabit are too warm for them. Sea-run brook trout habitat has been greatly restricted in the U.S. since the Industrial Revolution.

Fun Fact: Salters are genetically the same as other brook trout, although they are often bigger and stronger than others brook trout. The reason they go out to sea seems to be a mixture of preference and opportunity.

Diet: Sea-run brook trout are carnivorous, with their main diet consisting of minnows and crustaceans.

Spawning: Salters lay their eggs in deep cold water lakes and ponds with a sandy or gravely bottom in September to November.

Predators: Salters are preyed on by larger fish, osprey, and heron.

Conservation: Salter populations are struggling because of dams and competition with brown trout over food but if dams get removed, it is believed that salter populations could bounce back quickly.