New Brook Trout T-Shirts and Stickers: Eat More Invasive Species
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With their fiery bellies and star-flecked flanks, brook trout look like something out of a high-country fairytale. But in Colorado, that fairytale comes with a twist: they don’t belong here. Brook trout are native to the eastern United States, Appalachia, the Great Lakes, and parts of Canada. However, in the late 1800s, they were introduced to the Rocky Mountains for sport fishing. They took to the cold, clear waters like they’d always been here. The problem? They weren’t alone.
How Did They Get Here? A Stocking Story Gone Wrong
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, fish stocking was seen as a brilliant idea. Hatcheries were pumping out millions of fry and fingerlings to “enhance” local fisheries, and brook trout, hardy, fast-growing, and popular with anglers, were a natural choice. Railroads carried buckets of live fish to alpine lakes, backcountry creeks, and reservoirs where brookies had never swum before. At the time, nobody questioned what that might do to the native fish already living there.
Spoiler alert: it didn’t go well.
As brook trout populations established themselves, they began outcompeting native species, especially Colorado’s treasured cutthroat trout, for food and spawning habitat. And because brookies spawn earlier and mature faster, they usually win the race. The old mentality was “a trout is a trout,” but we now know that introducing non-native fish, even pretty ones, can have long-term ecological consequences.
Cutthroat: Colorado’s Homegrown Trout
Colorado is home to several subspecies of native cutthroat trout, including the greenback, Rio Grande, and Colorado River cutthroat. These fish are deeply tied to the region’s history, ecology, and culture. Once widespread across mountain streams and lakes, cutthroat trout have declined significantly due to habitat loss, pollution, hybridization, and, notably, competition from invasive trout species like brook trout. The greenback cutthroat trout, once believed to be extinct, was rediscovered in a single stream in the South Platte drainage and is now the focus of intense conservation efforts. These fish are more than just part of the local ecosystem; they are a living piece of Colorado’s wild heritage. When you catch a native cutthroat, it feels like a gift. A glimpse into what this landscape once was, and what it could be again, if we do the work.
Colorado’s streams and alpine lakes were once dominated by cutthroat trout. But brookies have changed the game. They’re aggressive feeders, reproduce prolifically, and tolerate a range of conditions. In many high-country streams, brook trout now dominate, pushing native cutthroat into fewer and fewer habitats. Brook trout aren’t villains. They didn’t ask to be relocated across the country. But their presence here has thrown fragile mountain ecosystems out of balance, and that’s something we can’t ignore.
A Tale of Two Trout
Where cutthroat trout struggle, brookies thrive. Where native species need restoration, brook trout become an obstacle. That’s why agencies like Colorado Parks & Wildlife and conservation groups like Trout Unlimited are working to remove brook trout from critical cutthroat habitat. In some watersheds, they’re using high-tech strategies like “Trojan” brook trout. These genetically manipulated males produce only male offspring. Over time, this could lead to a crash in the population without the use of chemicals or mass removal. It’s bold, controversial, and one of the most innovative fisheries experiments in the country.
For the last few summers, I had the opportunity to cook for backcountry fly fishing trips in Colorado’s Flat Tops Wilderness Area, a rugged and remote slice of alpine heaven. Each morning, the fishing guides would lead clients up into the high country to fish for trout in the cold, clear river that flows through the wilderness. They would return in the evening, boots muddy and smiles wide, carrying just enough brook trout for dinner. My job was to turn those fish into something special, simple, satisfying, and worthy of the day’s effort. I cooked the brook trout whole, skin-on, in a cast-iron skillet over an open flame. Butter, garlic, a sprinkle of salt, and a squeeze of lemon if we had it. That’s it. No frills. The skin crisped up perfectly while the flesh stayed flaky and rich. We passed the pan around the fire, eating off paper plates as the light faded and the stars took over. It wasn’t just a meal, it was a moment. One that connected us to the land, to the water, and the fish themselves. And while I love cooking wild food of all kinds, there was something about turning an invasive species into nourishment that just felt… right.
Harvesting brook trout, especially in areas where they are overpopulated, is one small, satisfying way to support conservation. And the best part? They taste amazing. Mild, flaky, and perfect for a cast iron pan. Want to go fancier? Smoke them low and slow, shred the meat into a trout dip with cream cheese and chives, and serve it with crusty sourdough and pickled ramps. Or make fish cakes and top them with spruce tip aioli. This fish is versatile, wild, and worth every bite.
Smoked Trout Grilled Cheese or Vietnamese Style Lake Trout Salad
Brook Trout Stringer T-Shirt and Sticker – Eat More Invasive Species
We are launching our brook trout sticker and T-shirt, a tribute to the complicated beauty of this fish, and a reminder that not all wild things belong everywhere. A portion of the profits from shirt and sticker sales will be donated to the Western Native Trout Initiative (WNTI). This conservation partnership works to protect, restore, and recover native trout species across twelve western states, including Colorado. WNTI focuses on habitat restoration, collaborative research, and public education, helping native fish, such as the greenback cutthroat, reclaim cold-water streams and alpine lakes. By supporting WNTI, you’re backing genuine, on-the-ground efforts to bring balance back to our waters, one trout stream at a time. Because conservation isn’t just about protection, it’s about correction.
The Shirt
The Sticker
Final Thoughts
Brook trout aren’t evil. They’re gorgeous, delicious, and fun to catch. But here in Colorado, they’re also a problem, one we can face with a fishing rod in one hand and a fork in the other. By honoring the fish that belong, and harvesting the ones that don’t, we’re not just eating well. We’re restoring balance. So get out there. Hike high. Fish well. Cook wild. And help make room for Colorado’s true native trout to come home.
Hate to be this guy but the fish depicted on the shirt and sticker are brown trout: black and red spots on a lighter background, with no blush on the gill plate. Brook trout, as char, display paler spots on a darker background, including red spots with blue halos. However, to be clear that you’re depicting brook trout and not another (say, endangered, native) char, you’ve got to include dorsal vermiculations.
Awesome article! I’m a fly fisher from Colorado, and eat invasive brookies just about whenever I run into them! Protecting the biodiversity of our local wildlife is incredibly important, and I entirely agree that there’s something that just feels right about eating invasive fish.
I really love the sticker, however unfortunately it has some brown trout drawn on it, not brook trout. I would 100% buy a sticker if you made some with brookies drawn on it, as they are a significantly more impactful than brown trout. There’s a reason why Colorado has a higher daily take limit of 10 for them! Fantastic article, love the sticker.