The flesh of brown trout may vary from white to reddish. Brown trout spawn in late fall to early winter, usually after brook trout, in stream areas similar to those selected by brook trout or, occasionally, in lakes. Spawning activities are similar to those of the brook trout. Brown trout eggs have a diameter of about 4 to 5 mm. The young usually emerge from the gravel in April or May.
Brown trout eat a great variety of food as do the other trout.
Large brown trout feed mainly at dusk or later, with fish being an important part of their diet. They usually mature at about 3 to 6 years of age and seldom live longer than 10 years. The average size of brown trout captured in inland waters is about 0.5 to 1.0 kg. In the Atlantic provinces, angled fish of greater than 4 kg are not rare and fish larger than 12 kg have been captured. Brown trout that go to sea may migrate, typically in April to June, and return to fresh water in 2 to 4 months or after spending one or more winters in the ocean.