The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) today announced the implementation of the Brook Trout Reserves program, a new initiative to protect Wisconsin’s native brook trout populations from changing environmental conditions.

Cold water streams provide the ideal habitat for native brook trout. Wisconsin has an estimated 22,000 miles of cold water stream habitat suitable for brook trout to call home. However, with warming stream temperatures, it’s projected that in 30 years, two out of every three miles of this habitat will become too warm to support brook trout.

https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/newsroom/release/101061

Cool, beans.

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It is hard for me to believe that we have 22,000 miles of streams suitable for brook trout as of 2024.  Even in the far north most of the brook trout waters are in the Class 1 streams. The brook trout may migrate into the Class 2 streams when the water temperatures are lower then they return to the Class 1 feeder creeks.

From... https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/Fishing/trout/index

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GerardH wrote on Dec 22^nd, 2024 at 3:19pm:


On a gorgeous spring pond hidden in the national forest brook and brown trout are now under siege by northern pike. It is not always brown vs brook trout. It is believed this happened due to the 500 year floods we had back in 2018.

Jizzy Pearl wrote on Dec 23^rd, 2024 at 7:48am:


You didn't specify warmer water in your reply to George and the article is about the DNR creating brook trout sanctuaries to help preserve stock with the challenges of climate change.  From the article you linked:

To help combat this problem, DNR fisheries biologists have used survey and environmental data to identify cold water streams in 205 subwatersheds that are the most likely to persist in the face of climate change.

The point is the DNR's hands aren't completely tied regarding creating brook trout sanctuaries, but they need to control brown trout where there is persisting suitable conditions for brook trout (i.e., spring creeks). 

WiBugMan wrote on Dec 23^rd, 2024 at 5:43am:



...and illegal stocking of bass wreak havoc with brook trout in spring ponds.  But the overall limiting factor -- especially in spring creeks -- are brown trout that compete directly with brook trout for habitat, food, and spawning gravel where conditions are conducive for both species.

WiBugMan wrote on Dec 24^th, 2024 at 6:22pm:


Agreed.  DNR does the same thing with their grouse counts.  I've found them to be unreliable.

Many times they published "low numbers" for my county and I found the exact opposite when I would go out.

Has that gorgeous spring pond that N pike have moved into had any management action? Pike are relatively easy to capture with fyke nets during spring spawning. Gill netting with size selective mesh can also be useful and should only capture adult N pike.

One factor in the brook trout future is the gene pool turns over in 3-4 years and just maybe natural selection will favor more temperature tolerant trout. Might just be wishful hoping.

Concerning long term trout population surveys, the Electro fishing gear works best in base flow conditions, high flows make for low water conductivity, until about June 15 young of the year trout are difficult to catch until they are more than 2”, the stream has to be wadeable for the crew. Another factor is air and water temperatures. If the fish are already stressed it’s not wise to be handling them.
The long term stations include some of the best natural habitat, some temperature refuge areas, some hyper habitat enhancement areas and some left alone control stretches.

GerardH wrote on Dec 28^th, 2024 at 6:31pm:


Yes.  I know that.  Not gonna split hairs over calling it grouse counts or drumming counts.

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I remember reading somewhere that they go back to the same area every year.  Well if Area A got hunted a lot and birds were killed off and Area B saw no hunters.  I don't think you get an accurate prediction.

So many times I read over the years that that numbers were low in my county...I never saw that to be the case.  Matter of fact, most of the time there were a ton of birds.