State Fish Of New York
The Fish “Brook Trout” Is The Official State Fish Of New York. New York Was Adopted Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) as the official state fish in 1975. New York State Fish Brook Trout can only live in cool, clean water and can be found in many of New York lakes, rivers, and streams.
IDENTIFICATION:
Brook trout have a long, streamlined body with a large mouth that extends past the eye. Color variations include olive, blue-gray or black above with a silvery-white belly and wormlike markings (vermiculation pattern) along the back. State Fish Of New York Brook Trout have red spots sometimes surrounded by bluish halos on their sides. The lower fins have a white front edge followed by black and the remainder being reddish-orange. The tail fin is square or slightly forked. During fall breeding time, New York State Fish male brook trout will develop a slightly hooked jaw and become very bright orange-red along the lower sides which are highlighted by a black vertical stripe along the belly.
FISHING:
State Fish Of New York Brook trout are ready biters and they can be caught by using various baits and lures including worms, crickets, grasshoppers, wet and dry flies, spoons and spinners. They can be found in deep holes and under the cover of logs or overhanging banks in many streams where they often pursued by anglers drifting worms along the bottom. Small spoons, spinners, and jigs are the most popular spinning lures. Brook trout are more diurnal than other trout, giving them a reputation among fly fishermen as “gentlemen trout,” and are perhaps the least discriminatory.
DIET:
Brook Trout have been described as voracious feeders with the potential to consume large numbers seasonally available mayflies, stoneflies and other aquatic insects as well as terrestrial insects. However, New York State Fish Brook Trout will often feed on whatever is most readily available like zooplankton, crustaceans, worms, and fish.
LIFE HISTORY:
Brook Trout can be found alongside rocks, under cover of logs and undercut banks, in cold water, spring-fed streams, rivers, lakes and in the Great Lakes. Larger State Fish Of New York brook trout often inhabit deep in stream pools moving to shallow water feed. Spawning generally occurs in the months of October and November. Mature brook trout seek a gravel riffle area in spring-fed streams, seepage areas of ponds, lakeshores with swift currents or groundwater seepages. Female brook trout use their tails to create a spawning bed (or redd). After spawning the female covers the eggs (up to 5,000 per female) with gravel.
