Brown Trout

Salmo trutta fario

DE: Bachforelle

3 · Vulnerable

Maximum Size: 80 cm
Waters: 1

Distinguishing Features

Red-brown spots with pale halos on the flanks, adipose fin present, dark back, red-brown colouring.

Habitat

Oxygen-rich, cool streams and rivers with gravel substrate.

Red List Germany

3 · Vulnerable

Declining or locally threatened in Germany.

Brown, lake and sea trout are life-history forms of one species (Salmo trutta); the Red List assesses them together as “Forelle”.

Red List of freshwater fish:: Freyhof et al. 2023 · Rote-Liste-Zentrum
IUCN global:: LC · Least Concern

Fishing rules by federal state

Can I keep it?

Federal state	Minimum size	Closed season	Notes
Baden-Württemberg	25 cm	1 Oct – 28 Feb	35 cm in the High Rhine, 20 cm in streams above 800 m. Does not apply to Lake Constance, which has its own rules.
Bavaria	26 cm	1 Oct – 15 Mar	Districts may set different rules.
Berlin	30 cm	1 Oct – 30 Apr
Brandenburg	30 cm	16 Oct – 15 Apr
Bremen	30 cm	15 Oct – 15 Mar	May only be taken where stocking is documented.
Hamburg	20–40 cm	15 Oct – 15 Feb	Harvest slots: only fish between the minimum and maximum size may be kept.
Hesse	25–60 cm	1 Oct – 31 Mar	Harvest slots: only fish between the minimum and maximum size may be kept.
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern	30 cm	1 Oct – 31 Mar	Values for inland waters; coastal waters have their own ordinance.
Lower Saxony	25 cm	15 Oct – 15 Feb	Values for inland waters; coastal waters have their own rules.
North Rhine-Westphalia	25 cm	20 Oct – 15 Mar
Rhineland-Palatinate	25 cm	15 Oct – 15 Mar	Many waters (incl. Rhine, Mosel, Lahn) have additional closed seasons.
Saarland	25 cm	1 Oct – 31 Mar	Night fishing is prohibited.
Saxony	28 cm	1 Oct – 30 Apr	1 Feb – 30 Apr: fishing with predator baits is prohibited.
Saxony-Anhalt	25 cm	15 Sep – 31 Mar	The fisheries authority may allow different minimum sizes for individual waters.
Schleswig-Holstein	30 cm	1 Oct – 28 Feb	Values for inland waters; coastal waters have their own ordinance.
Thuringia	30 cm	1 Oct – 31 Mar

Compare all states

Statewide rules for anglers as of 24 Oct 2026, without guarantee. Clubs and waters can set stricter rules; the ordinance text is binding.

Waters

Native

Isar

Expected in these federal states

Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Hesse, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein, Thuringia

Expected occurrence, modelled from each water's fish zones, habitat type and the federal states the species lives in, and checked against GBIF records — not a record of observations.