Did you know that it’s spawning season for the Youghiogheny River watershed’s native trout?
Brook trout spawn in the fall, from mid-September through November. They wait for cooler weather and may even travel to upstream headwaters to find the right spawning spot. As spawning time approaches, male brook trout become even more colorful, showing off in brilliant orange and red colors. (An uptick in testosterone levels affects the chromatophores, causing their colors to shift drastically.) Female fish move into the riffles where they’ll use their fins and bodies to dig nests, called “redds.” Eggs incubate in redds through winter, usually hatching in late winter or early spring.
Some anglers choose not to fish in sites where trout are spawning, because they’re concerned about harming the sensitive native fishes’ reproductive success. Others feel that fishing has little to no impact, as long as they’re using careful catch-and-release methods. Check out this article for nuanced advice on the subject.
Whether you decide to fish or not, be careful not to disturb the redds! Wading through them can kill hundreds of eggs with one careless step. Depending upon the size of the fish, redds look like someone has dug a hole or cleared away leaves in the smaller gravel on the bottom of the river. Expect to find redds in shallow water (often 6–18 inches deep). But they can start to blend in with the rest of the stream bottom quickly once the spawn is over.
(Check out this great video on how to identify a redd.)
Plan your creek crossings at bedrock, sand, or dark, undisturbed cobble, and keep dogs away from possible spawning sites. The best option of all, especially when exploring small streams, is to simply fish from the bank!