Iowa Fish Atlas

Native: Yes

State Rank: S3

ITIS Code: 162003        

National Rank:  N5

Global Rank: G5

Modeled By: Anna Loan-Wilsey

State Range:

A native species to Iowa, the brook trout is found almost exclusively in the Eastern Broadleaf Forest Aquatic Subregion in the northeastern portion of the state.  Originally  fishery investigators believed the brook trout was restricted to the Upper Iowa River drainage.  However, it was in fact found in abundance in almost any spring-fed stream (Harlan et al. 1987).  Natural reproduction of brook trout is limited and confirmation of the distribution of the species is difficult due to periodic stocking (Harlan and Speaker 1969, Harlan et al. 1987).

Habitat Affinities:

The brook trout inhabits cool, clear headwater spring ponds, springs, and spring-fed streams containing shallow riffles over gravel and rubble bottoms (Becker 1983; Harlan et al. 1987; Phillips et al. 1982; Robison and Buchanan 1988; Trautman 1981).  Synonymous with the cold waters, brook trout are seldom found in water with temperatures higher than 50-60F (Eddy and Underhill 1974; Etnier and Starnes 1993; Harlan et al. 1987; Tomelleri and Eberle 1990; Trautman 1981).  Needing the coldest and cleanest of stream conditions, the brook trout is highly sensitive to pollution, siltation and water quality degradation (Harlan et al. 1987).

Predictive Model(s):

Statewide Model: by 8-digit HU [Decision Tree Analysis n=49]

The distribution is based upon existing collection records.

("SUBREGION_" = 2 AND ("TEMP_CODE" <= 1 OR ("TEMP_CODE" > 1 AND

"GRADSEGR" > 5 AND "SDISCR_2C" <= 0)))

Overall Prediction:

("SUBREGION_" = 2 AND ("TEMP_CODE" <= 1 OR ("TEMP_CODE" > 1 AND

"GRADSEGR" > 5 AND "SDISCR_2C" <= 0)))

Literature Cited:

Becker, G.C.  1983.  Fishes of Wisconsin.  University of Wisconsin Press, Madison. 1052 pp.

Eddy, S., and J.C. Underhill.  1974.  Northern fishes; with special reference to the upper Mississippi Valley.  University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota.  414 pp.

Etnier, D.A., and W.E. Starnes.  1993.  The fishes of Tennessee.  University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville, Tennessee.  681 pp.

Harlan, J.R., E.B. Speaker, and J. Mayhew.  1987.  Iowa fish and fishing. Iowa Conservation Commission, Des Moines, Iowa. 323pp.

Phillips, G.L., W.D. Schmid, and J.C. Underhill.  1982.  Fishes of the Minnesota region.  University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota.  248 pp.

Robison, H.W., and T.M. Buchanan. 1988.  Fishes of Arkansas.  University of Arkansas Press, Fayetteville, Arkansas.  536 pp.

Tomelleri, J.R., and M.E. Eberle.  1990.  Fishes of the Central United States.  University  Press of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas.  226 pp.

Trautman, M.B.  1981.  The fishes of Ohio.  Revised Edition.  Ohio State University Press in collaboration with the Ohio Sea Grant Program Center for Lake Erie Area Research,  Columbus, Ohio.  782 pp.

Data Sources:

Decorah Fish Management.  2002.  Field notes and unpublished reports.  Northeast

Management District, Fisheries Bureau, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Decorah, Iowa.

Iowa State University Museum.  1985.  Collection of fishes catalog, 1878-1985.   Iowa

State University, Ames, Iowa.

Lake MacBride Fish Management.  2002.  Field notes and unpublished reports. 

Southeast Management District, Fisheries Bureau, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Solon, Iowa.

Manchester Fish Management.  2002.  Field notes and unpublished reports.  Northeast

Management District, Fisheries Bureau, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Manchester, Iowa.

Meek, S.E.  1892.  Report upon the fishes of Iowa, based upon observations and

collections mad during 1889, 1890, 1891.  Bulletin of the United States Fish Commission. 10(1890):217-248.

Menzel, B.W.  1983.  Field notes: northeast.  Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.

Mount Mercy College Museum.  2002.  Vertebrate collection database report.  Mount

Mercy College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Wilton, T., K. Krier, and J. Mootz.  2003.  Stream Biological Assessment Database.

Environmental Services Division, Water Quality Bureau, TMDL and Water Quality Assessment Section, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Des Moines, Iowa.

Wunder, G., and S.A. Gritters.  1994.  Sny Magill Creek Fishery Assessment.  Fish

Management Investigations 1994 Annual Report.  Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Des Moines, Iowa.

Wunder, G., and J. Jansen. 1997.  Sny Magill Creek Fishery Assessment for 1995 and

1996.  Fish Management Investigations 1997 Annual Report.  Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Des Moines, Iowa.

Additional References:

Allen, K.R.  1951.  The Horokiwi Stream. A study of a trout population.   New Zealand Marine Department Fisheries Bulletin 10, Wellington, New Zealand.  231 pp.

Carlander, K.D.  1969.  Handbook of freshwater fishery biology. Volume One.  Iowa State University Press, Ames, Iowa.  752 pp.

Cooper, E.L.  1983.  Fishes of Pennsylvania and the northeastern United States.  Pennsylvania State University Press, University Park, Pennsylvania. 243 pp.

Frost, W.E., and M.E. Brown.  1967.  The trout.  N.M.N. Collins Co., St. James Place, London.  286 pp.

Gonderson, D.R.  1968.  Floodplain use related to stream and fish populations.  Journal of Wildlife Management 32(3):507-514.

Greeley, J.R.  1932.  The spawning habits of brook, brown and rainbow trout, and the problem of egg predators.  Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 62:239-248.

Karas, N.  1997.  Brook Trout.  Lyons and Burford, New York, New York.  371pp.

Lee, D. S., C. R. Gilbert, C. H. Hocutt, R. E. Jenkins, D. E. McAllister, and J. R. Stauffer, Jr.  1980.  Atlas of North American freshwater fishes.  North Carolina State Museum of Natural History, Raleigh, North Carolina.  867 pp.

Lewis, S.L.  1969.  Physical factors influencing fish populations in pools of a trout stream.  Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 98:14-18.

Maciolek, J.A., and P.R. Needham.  1951.  Ecological effects of winter conditions on trout and trout foods in Convict Creek, California.  Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 81:202-217.

Manooch, C. S., III. 1984.  Fisherman's guide - fishes of the southeastern United States.  North Carolina State Museum of Natural History, Raleigh. 362 pp.

Metcalfe, C. D.  1989.  Tests for predicting carcinogenicity in fish.  Reviews in Aquatic Sciences 1 (1):111-129.

Needham, P.R.  1947.  Survival of trout in streams.  Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 77:26-31.

Page, L.M., and B.M. Burr.  1991.  A field guide to freshwater fishes: North America north of Mexico.  Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. 432 pp.

Robins, C.R., R.M. Bailey, C.E. Bond, J.R. Brooker, E.A. Lachner, R.N. Lea, and W.B. Scott.  1991.  Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States and Canada.  American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 20, Bethesda, Maryland. 183 pp.

Scott, W.B., and E. J. Crossman.  1973.  Freshwater fishes of Canada.  Fisheries Research Board of Canada Bulletin No. 184, Ottawa, Canada.  966 pp.

Smith, C.L.  1985.  The inland fishes of New York state.  New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Albany, New York.  522 pp.

Stoltz, J., and J. Schnell.  1991.  Trout.  Stackpole Wildlife Series.  384 pp.

Stow, C.A., S.R. Carpenter, L.A. Eby, J.F. Amrhein, and R.J. Hesselberg.  1995.  Evidence that PCBc are approaching stable concentrations in Lake Michigan fishes.  Ecological Applications 5:248-260.

Warren, M.L. Jr., B.M. Burr, S.J. Walsh, H.L. Bart Jr., R.C. Cashner, D.A. Etnier, B.J. Freeman, B.R. Kuhajda, R.L. Mayden, H.W. Robison, S.T. Ross, and W.C. Starnes.  2000.  Diversity, distribution, and conservation status of the native freshwater fishes of the southern United States.  Fisheries 25(10): 7-31.

Photo Credits:

Upper Left:       Photo courtesy of Dr. Don Beimborn, copyright Donald Beimborn.

Upper Right:     Photo courtesy of the Native Fish Conservancy, http://www.nativefish.org