Here is a list of some of the common trout you may encounter on your fishing expeditions. When and if you catch that fish of a lifetime, this list will let you compare your wall hanger to the biggest of the big to ever be caught on rod and reel. Good luck on your next outing, trying to catch monsters like these.
By the way, for fun reading, check these articles out as well: basics of spin fishing, can koi fish be fished in the wild?, and how about bass fishing in Hawaii?
Brook Trout
Dr. John William Cook is the current record holder for Brook trout. The 6.57 kg, 78.74 cm (14.8 pound 31 inch) record trout was caught on the Nipigon River, Ontario in July of 1916. The fish was estimated to weigh more, however it was slightly decomposed due to spending 3 weeks in the wilds of Canada without refrigeration. Compare this with the average Brook Trout weighing 4.4 kg (9.7 lbs), this record will perhaps stand for some time to come.
Cutthroat Trout
The largest of the North American native species of trout is the cut throat. The world record for this species was caught in 1925 and weighed it at 18.59 kg (41 pounds) in Pyramid Lake, Nevada by John Skimmerhorn.
The state fish of Wyoming averages 10.43 kg (23 lbs), proving how this world record trout will likely stand for some time as well. A favorite among anglers, we’re seeing a shift in populations, making this record a very tough one to challenge.
Bull Trout
Nelson Higgins is the owner of the Bull Trout world record.
Caught in 1949 this 14.59 kg (32 pound) monster was caught in Idaho in the
waters of Lake Pend Oreille. With a common weight of 8.7 kg (19 lbs) the world
record seems a ways off. It’ll take a special fish to compete with this
juggernaut.
Rainbow Trout
Lake Diefenbaker, Saskatchewan, Canada is home to the world record Rainbow Trout. Perhaps the trout we’re all most familiar with, the 21.77 kg (48 lb) behemoth is a relative newcomer to the record books, being caught in 2009 by Sean Konrad. Common lake dwelling specimens are taken in the 9 kg (20 lb) weight classes commonly.
The river bound individuals are a common occurrence at 2.3 kg (5 lbs). To give yourself a chance at the record, you’re going to have to more than double the common lake dwelling Rainbow Trout.
Lake Trout
August 19, 1995 is when Lloyd Bull caught the current record
Lake Trout. At 32.65 kg (72 pounds), Great Bear Lake in the Northwest
Territories, Canada is where this giant spent it’s days patrolling the cold
depth of this famous body of water. Commonly taken in the 40 lb class, catching
a leviathan over the current world record seems to be a daunting undertaking
left only to the most persistent of anglers.
Brown Trout
19.08 kg (42 pounds and 1 oz) is where the record for Brown Trout currently set. Another newcomer to the record book, the fish caught in New Zealand’s Ohahu Canal in 2013 by Otwin Kandolf gives this list a welcomed international flare.