Brown trout

How to tell a brown trout from the fish it's most often mistaken for, and what you can keep in each BC region.

How to confirm it's a brown trout

Black and red spots, many with pale rings
Few or no spots on the tail
Golden-brown sides

Could it be something else?

Rainbow trout
Rainbow has a pink band and spots all over the tail.Brook trout
Brook trout have pale worm-like marks on the back and white fin edges.

Brown trout quotas by region

Each region's quota rule that covers brown trout, in the synopsis' words. Many waters set their own, lower quota or require release; check the water.

Region 1 · Vancouver Island

Region 1 daily quotas (excluding Haida Gwaii): Trout: 4, but not more than 1 over 50 cm (2 hatchery steelhead over 50 cm allowed), 2 from streams (must be hatchery). You must release all wild steelhead, all wild trout from streams, all char (includes Dolly Varden).
Haida Gwaii daily quotas: Trout/char: 5, but not more than 1 over 50 cm, 3 Dolly Varden, 2 from streams. You must release trout/char under 30 cm from streams and all wild steelhead.

Region 2 · Lower Mainland

Region 2 daily quotas: Trout/char: 4, but not more than 1 over 50 cm (2 hatchery steelhead over 50 cm allowed), 2 from streams (must be hatchery), 1 char (bull trout, Dolly Varden, or lake trout), none under 60 cm. You must release wild trout/char from streams, all wild steelhead, hatchery trout/char under 30 cm from streams.

Region 3 · Thompson-Nicola

Region 3 daily quotas: Trout/char: 5, but not more than 4 from streams, 1 over 50 cm, 1 bull trout (Dolly Varden) or lake trout, none under 60 cm. You must release all steelhead, bull trout (Dolly Varden) from streams Aug 1-Oct 31, lake trout from Oct 15-Jan 31.

Region 4 · Kootenay

Trout/char release: in streams from Nov 1-Mar 31 (see tables for additional dates or exceptions).
Region 4 daily quotas: Trout/char: 5, but not more than 1 rainbow trout or cutthroat trout over 50 cm, 2 from streams, 1 bull trout (Dolly Varden) of any size.

Region 5 · Cariboo

Region 5 daily quotas: Trout/char: 5, but not more than 1 over 50 cm, 2 from streams, 1 Dolly Varden/bull trout, 2 lake trout. You must release all steelhead, lake trout Oct 1-Nov 30, bull trout (Dolly Varden) from streams Aug 1-Oct 31.

Region 6 · Skeena

Region 6 daily quotas: Trout/char: 5, but not more than 1 over 50 cm (quota includes hatchery steelhead), 3 Dolly Varden/bull trout and/or lake trout combined, 1 trout from streams July 1-Oct 31. You must release all Dolly Varden/bull trout from streams all year, trout under 30 cm from any stream, trout of any size from streams Nov 1-June 30, lake trout from Fraser and Skeena watersheds Sept 15-Nov 30, all wild steelhead.

Region 7A · Omineca

Zone A daily quotas: Trout/char: 5, but not more than 1 over 50 cm, 2 from streams, 3 lake trout, 1 bull trout (Dolly Varden). Bull trout may only be retained Oct 16-Aug 14, from lakes, 30-50 cm. You must release bull trout from streams all year and from lakes Aug 15-Oct 15; lake trout of any size Sept 15-Oct 31 and under 30 cm all year.

Region 7B · Peace

Zone B daily quotas: Trout/char: 5, but not more than 1 over 50 cm, 2 from streams, 2 lake trout, 1 bull trout (Oct 16-Aug 14, Liard watershed or specified waters, 30-50 cm). You must release rainbow trout of any size from streams May 1-June 15, lake trout under 30 cm, lake trout of any size Sept 15-Oct 31, bull trout from the Liard watershed Aug 15-Oct 15 and from the Peace watershed all year.

Region 8 · Okanagan

Region 8 daily quotas: Trout/char: 5, but not more than 1 over 50 cm, 4 from streams (only 2 over 30 cm). And you may retain 20 brook trout from streams. And you must release bull trout (Dolly Varden) from streams.

Waters with their own brown trout rules

Chilliwack Lake · Harrison Lake · Pitt Lake · Cultus Lake · Skagit River · Lillooet Lake · Alta Lake · Rice Lake · Thompson River · Nicola River · Coldwater River · Kootenay Lake · Kootenay River · Elk River · St. Mary River · Slocan River · Bull River · Quesnel River · Dragon Lake · Chilko River · Chilcotin River · Dean River · Horsefly River · Nimpo Lake · Bowron Lake · Pine River · Granby River · Idleback Lake

The drawings are Fishable's own recognition aids, not portraits; colours vary with size, season and water. Quotas from the BC Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis 2025-2027, data of October 29, 2026. If you can't be sure what a fish is, release it.