Brown trout

About

The Brown trout, or pstrug, is the most well-known fish of the Carpathian streams. It is a freshwater, resident form of the species Salmo trutta, which spends its entire life in cold, clean, oxygen-rich water with a rocky bottom. In Ukraine, it inhabits the upper reaches of the Prut, Cheremosh, Seret, Stryi, Dniester rivers with their tributaries Svyche and Limnytsia, and in Transcarpathia — in the Tysa, Teresva, Tereblia, Rika, and many smaller rivers and streams. It is also common in the mountain rivers of Poland, Slovakia, and Romania.

The body is slender, covered with small scales, with a small adipose fin on the back closer to the tail. The sides are golden-olive with black and red spots, with red spots often bordered by a light ring. Usually, the trout is small: in the rivers of Transcarpathia, six-year-old fish were about 35 cm and 310 g, while in lakes they grow larger; occasionally, individuals up to 60 cm are found.

In hot weather, trout stay near springs or hide under stones and roots, feeding very little. In spring and summer, it eats aquatic insects and their larvae, and in autumn, when insects become less abundant, it feeds on small fish, primarily the minnow. It feeds most actively early in the morning and in the evening. Each fish holds its territory behind a stone or under a root, from where it darts out to catch prey carried by the current.

Trout spawn late in autumn, mainly in October–November, in fast sections with gravel. The eggs winter under the gravel, and fry appear in April–May. To avoid disturbing the spawning, fishing for Brown trout is prohibited every year from October 10 to March 1 in the Transcarpathian, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, and Chernivtsi regions. A compensation of 7,225 UAH is imposed for each illegally caught fish during this time; administrative or criminal liability may also apply. The rest of the year, general Amateur Fishing Rules apply, and in national parks and reserves, their own restrictions are in place.

Trout are very sensitive to pollution and warming of the water, so they are harmed by deforestation along streams, gravel extraction, and dams. The State Fisheries Agency annually releases fry of Brown trout into the Carpathian rivers to support its stocks. As of the current list of the Red Book of Ukraine (2021), Brown trout is not included; among salmonids, the Danube and Black Sea salmon and the grayling are listed.

Where in the Carpathians

The map shows where naturalists recorded the species (GBIF, CC0 and CC BY records), not every place it lives. The Ukrainian Carpathians are less studied, so a blank area does not mean the species is absent.

Countries

Ukraine · Serbia · Poland · Czechia · Slovakia · Romania · Hungary

Mountain ranges

Kučaj Mountains and Beljanica, Maramureș Mountains, High Tatras, Gorgany, Moravian-Silesian Beskids, Bieszczady, Vihorlat-Gutin Volcanic Ridge, Rivna Polonyna, Svydovets, Slovak Ore Mountains

Altitude belts

Foothills (below 600 m) · Beech forests (600–1200 m)

When to see it

From naturalists’ observations in the Carpathians (iNaturalist, research grade): the darker the cell, the more often the species is seen that month.

Look-alikes — how to tell them apart

Protection and rules

Fishing is prohibited from October 10 to March 1 in the Transcarpathian, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, and Chernivtsi regions; compensation is 7,225 UAH for each fish.

Red Data Book of Ukraine

Where to fish in the Carpathians

RiverPrutKryvopilliaThe Prut River is a river that connects several countries and is of great natural, historical and cultural importance.RiverLatorytsiaRoztokaLatorytsia River - Latorytsia and its surroundings are a popular destination for eco-tourism.RiverWhite CheremoshUsterikyThe White Cheremosh is one of the most beautiful and important rivers in the Ukrainian Carpathians.RiverLimnytsia River landscape reserve of local importanceOsmolodaThe area of the reserve is 2440 hectares. The Limnytsia River is a source of clean water and has favorable conditions...RiverVyzhenka RiverVyzhenkaTheriver Vyzhenka is located in the village of the same name in the Chernivtsi region.RiverCheremosh RiverVyzhnytsiaThe Cheremosh is born near Usteriky, where the Chornyi Cheremosh and the Bilyi Cheremosh meet.

Fishing in the Carpathians ›

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