Brown trout

Salmo trutta

A native Welsh fish since the last ice age and perhaps our most widespread species.

Brown trout require cold, clear water and gravel in order to breed. Brown trout are found in most rivers and streams in Wales, as well as natural lakes and reservoirs.

The vast majority of these trout are wild, very few rivers are artificially stocked, and smaller ‘fishery’ lakes tend to be stocked with cheaper rainbow trout.

Wild upland and mountain lakes almost always hold wild brown trout.

Typical wild brown trout size ranges are from 20cm to 40cm (8oz to 1lb 8oz) although much larger fish of 3lb to 5lb can be found in the lower reaches of our rivers and in some of the more productive lakes. The Welsh record naturalised stocked brown trout is over 20lb, wild record 16lb.

Brown trout can live up to 20 years and eat a wide variety of invertebrates and small fish. Wales is one of the best places in the UK for wild brown trout fishing. We encourage catch and release of this sporting species.

Find places to go trout fishing in Wales here.