So as you’re reading this, I’m probably somewhere in Northeast Ohio. Likely at (or near) Kent State University, participating in a parent/student orientation ahead of my daughter’s freshman year of college.
While the move to Ohio is part of Lilly’s life adventure and will likely have little impact on my fishing, I was curious as to how “trouty” the Buckeye state was. I know it has its own slice of Steelhead Alley, but geographically, it’s not that far removed from Pennsylvania (or even Michigan), so I suspect that at one time it might have had its own native brook trout populations… even though I understand most trout fishing in Ohio today would be stocked browns, rainbows, or similar.
Photo: Cleveland Metroparks
So I did a little Google AI-aided search and turned up the following info…
Native brook trout in Ohio have a fascinating but precarious history:
- History: There’s some debate about how widespread they once were. Historical records focus on larger fish, but brook trout likely existed in Ohio following the retreat of glaciers around 10,000 years ago. One of the first fish hatcheries in the US was built in Cleveland specifically for them.
- Habitat: These little guys are picky. They prefer the cold, clean water found in headwater streams. Their presence is actually a good indicator of healthy water quality.
- Challenges: Sadly, Ohio’s brook trout populations are threatened. Habitat loss due to development and climate change are the main culprits. Competition from non-native fish species also plays a role.
- Conservation Efforts: There are ongoing efforts to protect and restore brook trout populations in Ohio. The Ohio Division of Wildlife and organizations like the Cleveland Museum of Natural History are involved in these initiatives.
Here are some resources for further reading:
- A scientific paper on Ohio Brook Trout: Cleveland Museum of Natural History PDF on Brook Trout
- Information from the Ohio Division of Wildlife: Ohio Department of Natural Resources Trout info
- Map of wild brook trout distribution in Ohio: Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture – Ohio map
I think all of that is rather interesting… and certainly yielded quite a few papers to read. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look all that good for brook trout in Ohio, although it seems rather inconclusive on whether it was every really a stronghold for them in the first place. One thing’s for certain, urban development certainly isn’t helping their cause. It is nice to see there’s at least a few pockets of wild brookies still around, even if their numbers are dwindling.
Following this minimal research, I would like to do a deeper dive into the Cleveland Museum of Natural History‘s “Trout Club” that was founded in 1978 and was operating as recently as a few years ago. They spent quite some time and resources focusing on steelhead, but also a bit on brook trout.
Currently, their website suggests that the club went on hiatus during the pandemic, but it appears their Facebook & Instagram accounts have shown some activity since, suggesting that some club related activities have been resumed.
If anybody has any information on trout in Ohio, specifically native brook trout, let me know… I’d certainly enjoy learning more.