Species

Lake trout (brown trout)

A large-growing form of the brown trout in deep, oxygen-rich lakes that runs up the tributaries to spawn.

Salmo trutta

Photo: Chorche95, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0, adjusted to 3:2

Spawning: September to December in the tributaries (general guide, varies by region)
German Red List: vulnerable (gefährdet)
Typical method: Trolling from a boat
Top bait: Spoon

Plan a day fishing for Lake trout (brown trout)

How to recognise it

Elongated, slightly flattened body with mostly very pale flanks
Irregular blackish, sometimes brown or reddish spots or rings
Adipose fin, the mouth reaches behind the eye

Easily confused with: The lake trout is not a separate species but a life form of the brown trout; it is as closely related to the stream trout of the tributaries as to other lake trout (Wikipedia). It differs from the Atlantic salmon by its mouth, which reaches behind the eye; in the salmon it ends roughly below the rear edge of the eye (FishBase).

How to catch it

Methods: Trolling from a boat, Lure fishing (spinning) from the bank, Fly fishing with streamers

Baits: Spoon, Slim plug (crankbait), Streamer, Dead bait fish

Spring and autumn when the water is cool, then also close to the bank; in summer it usually stays deep.

Habitat and food

Large, oxygen-rich lakes in Central Europe, the Alps, Scandinavia, the Baltic states, northern Russia, the British Isles and Iceland; to spawn it moves into the upper reaches of the tributaries (Wikipedia).

Small animals, mainly crustaceans; larger fish, called ground trout (Grundforellen), also eat fish (Wikipedia).

Size and age

40 to 80 cm, maximum age about 10 years (Wikipedia). For the species Salmo trutta as a whole, FishBase gives a maximum of 140 cm, a heaviest published weight of 50 kg and a maximum age of 38 years; these figures include all forms of the trout.

Protection and rules

Conservation status: German Red List (freshwater fish 2023, species Salmo trutta): vulnerable (gefährdet), not threatened in 2009; brown trout, lake trout and sea trout are assessed together as one species. IUCN (Salmo trutta): not threatened (Least Concern, 2022).

Lake trout (brown trout): closed season and minimum size by German state

Baden-Württembergminimum size 50 cm · closed season 01.10. to 28.02.
Bavariaminimum size 60 cm · closed season 01.10. to 15.03. only in some waters
Berlinminimum size 60 cm · closed season 01.10. to 31.05.
Brandenburgprotected all yearminimum size 60 cm · closed season 16.10. to 15.04. only in some waters
Hessekeep only from 25 to 60 cm · closed season 01.10. to 31.03.
North Rhine-Westphaliaminimum size 50 cm · closed season 20.10. to 15.03.
Rhineland-Palatinateminimum size 60 cm
Saxonyminimum size 60 cm · closed season 01.10. to 30.04.

From the official state fisheries regulations, retrieved 2026-10-11. All rules by state

Check the rules

Closed seasons and minimum sizes are set by each German state and can be stricter for single waters. All rules by state, with the legal source

In the kitchen

Because crustaceans make up much of its diet, the flesh is pink; like other red-fleshed salmonids it is sold as salmon trout (Lachsforelle) in Germany (Wikipedia).

Sources (3)

Last checked 2026-10-13. Found a mistake? Write to [email protected].

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