Their natural range has been greatly expanded through artificial propagation. In Massachusetts, brook trout can be found in 31 of 32 watersheds.
Brook trout occur in a wide variety of habitats from small streams to large lakes.
Their only true requirements are a year-round supply of cold, well oxygenated water and areas of gravel on which to spawn. As water temperatures rise, stream dwelling brook trout may move downstream to larger bodies of water. Brook trout diet consists of a wide range of aquatic and terrestrial insect and larvae with occasional plant material. Brook trout spawn in late summer or autumn generally in the shallow headwaters of streams or along gravel bars of lakes. Females clear away debris by rapidly fanning the substrate with their tail.