I am wondering what size a brook trout should be before you keep it for dinner. I will be fishing streams along the North Shore or inland streams. In the past I've only caught some that were 7 - 9 inches and released them as being too small. I talked to someone else fishing the Baptism up around Finland and he said he didn't keep anything smaller than 12". The owner of the resort we stay at told me if I waited for one that size I would never taste a stream Brook Trout in that area.

Any thoughts? Should I keep some smaller ones? The small ones seem very plentiful.

Thanks for any insight.
Jay

12" is a good size to keep when fishing in a stream...anything smaller does not have much meat on it. I have seen plenty of 12-15 inch brookies come out of the Babtism in the finland area. Keep in mind if you are fishing river mouths and catch a coaster it has to be over 20" to keep.

quote brantlars: "12" is a good size to keep when fishing in a stream...anything smaller does not have much meat on it. I have seen plenty of 12-15 inch brookies come out of the Babtism in the finland area. Keep in mind if you are fishing river mouths and catch a coaster it has to be over 20" to keep."

catch a coaster it should be released.

quote brantlars: "12" is a good size to keep when fishing in a stream...anything smaller does not have much meat on it. I have seen plenty of 12-15 inch brookies come out of the Babtism in the finland area. Keep in mind if you are fishing river mouths and catch a coaster it has to be over 20" to keep."

brant when you say coaster is that an unclipped fish or is there more to it than that ?

quote Pinetree: "

quote brantlars: "12" is a good size to keep when fishing in a stream...anything smaller does not have much meat on it. I have seen plenty of 12-15 inch brookies come out of the Babtism in the finland area. Keep in mind if you are fishing river mouths and catch a coaster it has to be over 20" to keep."

catch a coaster it should be released."

I agree...but I am not gonna tell someone what to do with their fish...that's what the law says..20" minimum

If it is a true coaster in Minnesota they are so far and in between, I just think it is nice if it can reproduce.

What size should you keep? Tough question. It will vary from stream to stream and it is nice if a person knows a little history of that stream.
Many inland streams 99% of the trout will never reach much over 9 inches due to too good of reproduction leading too many trout for a semi sterile stream. There you would probably do the stream some good by taking out 8 inch fish. Know many streams inland are that way along lake Superior. That case your not hurting a thing.

Other streams maybe fishermen are overfishing a stream with good growth potential but fishermen are cropping them off by the 9 inch mark(That is what happens in the Brainerd Mille lacs area.

Bottom line know your streams if possible or what expected for certain streams or areas. It varies so much.

Yes it is my opinion fish,especially brooks over a certain size should be released,maybe giving a young fishermen or old die-hard fishermen a special treat by catching a trophy fish. Yes it is your call and judgement.

Now were talking streams only,stream trout lakes would be different yet with most lakes majority of fished are cropped off each year,thus very few big ones present.

quote shock: "

quote brantlars: "12" is a good size to keep when fishing in a stream...anything smaller does not have much meat on it. I have seen plenty of 12-15 inch brookies come out of the Babtism in the finland area. Keep in mind if you are fishing river mouths and catch a coaster it has to be over 20" to keep."

brant when you say coaster is that an unclipped fish or is there more to it than that ? "

Coaster is a native Brook Trout..pretty rare on the north shore until you get up by Nipigon but there are more around Chewamagon bay in sconi.

I've fished a few rivers and streams in the Lake Superior tributary and superior national forest. Size just depends on what stream/river you are fishing. Lake brookies get a lot bigger... A 9-10 inch stream brookie is good eating. You can get more meat off them than you think. Gut them and get the blood line out and then sprinkle some lemon pepper or seasoned salt with olive oil in their chest cavity (I like lemon pepper and small slices of lemon). Wrap in tinfoil then put over the fire :) you can peel all the meat right off the bone and not waste meat.

12" in a smallish river is a good sized brookie. I have eaten plenty of the little spotted beauties in the 10" class and thought they were wonderful. I may have even eaten a few smaller than 10" and if I remember correctly they were quite tasty as well! :-)

I fish for Brook Trout on a few lakes that the DNR stocks. They do not reproduce in lakes, they need streams for that. They just grow old and die. So my thoughts are if they are close to the size of an eater Walleye it goes in the pan. If they are small they go back. I have not had to make a decision on a huge Brookie yet.

Thanks this helps set my expectations, I only fish above the first barrier so Coasters are not an issue. Usually I go to the Baptism east of Finland or the Temperance off the Sawbill Trail. Still open for other streams though.

All Brookies are native to MN. Coasters are potamodromous, the little Brookies you catch in streams are the same strain they just don't get as big because they don't have the forage available that Lake Superior has.

I love stream trout fishing..gets me into the middle of nowhere..and especially in regards to brook trout,they all go back. I'll drive into town and eat a burger.

quote h20: "I love stream trout fishing..gets me into the middle of nowhere..and especially in regards to brook trout,they all go back. I'll drive into town and eat a burger."
There number #1.