Brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) are the only native stream-dwelling trout in eastern North
America. Members of the char genus, they are related to lake trout and arctic
char. Heavy vermiculations, or “wormy markings”, on the back are perhaps the
most obvious identifying feature of the brook trout. The body is also speckled
with light red spots with halos varying in red, yellow, or off-white, and the
lower fins are orange with white leading edges.The Iron River supports a healthy population of naturally reproducing, native
brook trout. Brook trout require cool water temperatures and usually cannot
tolerate temperatures much higher than 68° F. Brook trout spawn in the fall,
usually between late October and early December and prefer gravel stream bottom
for spawning. More so than any other species, brook trout build their nests, or
redds, adjacent to or on top of an area where groundwater can flow upward
through the redd.
Over twelve miles of the Iron River is classified Blue Ribbon Trout Water by
the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
The conditions in the Iron River are ideal for brook trout. Much of the cold
water that feeds the Iron River comes directly from springs that flow through
the stream bottom. The Iron River’s reputation for a strong and abundant brook
trout population is well known. In fact, the Michigan Department of Natural
Resources has used brook trout from the Iron River as brood stock in their
hatchery program.
