Native to eastern Canada and northeastern United States; extend as far west as eastern Minnesota. Original range also included the Appalachian Mountains where they are still found in many high elevation streams as far south as Georgia. They have been widely introduced into several western states. Brook trout are the only trout native to waters

Fall months, peaking in late October - early November. Using their tail fins, a female constructs a shallow depression in clean stream gravel (called a redd) where she deposits her eggs. After the male fertilizes the eggs, the female covers them with gravel. The eggs incubate through the winter months and hatch out in the early spring.