The brown trout is a native of European waters. Like the rainbow trout, it has also been widely distributed. Brown trout were first brought to the United States over 100 years ago and are now present throughout North America. Brook trout originally are native to an area that extends from the northeastern coast of North America west to the Great Lakes and south along the Appalachian mountains as far as northern Georgia. There are migratory races of both rainbow trout and brown trout which spawn in freshwater and migrate in the same manner as salmon.
Trout are generally cultured in raceways or ponds supplied with flowing water.
However, some are produced in pens, nets and recirculating systems. For additional information, see the Trout and Salmon Beginner's Page in AquaNIC .