Sea trout are sea-migratory brown trout that have a similar lifecycle to other anadromous salmonid species. Unlike stream-residential brown trout, sea trout grow to a tremendous size by feeding on a variety of food. Due to their strength and beauty, they are widely targeted by anglers in Europe and other parts of the world where sea trout have been introduced in.

Depending on the type of feed, sea trout can grow up to 20lb. The average size that beach anglers encounter is 1 to 6lb. Unlike brown trout in streams, sea trout are completely silver when caught in the ocean, except prior to or after spawning. Small fish tend to have large black spots across their body, while smaller and less spots are found on larger fish. Several large spots can be found on the gill plates and their square tail is usually spotless.

Click here to view identification photographs of sea trout

Sea trout's native range extends from the northern part of the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea to the Baltic Sea. During their adult phase, they feed along the coastal waters of Eastern Canada, Iceland, British Isles, Scandinavia, Kola Peninsula. From mid summer to late autumn, they migrate into streams of these countries and spawn in small tributaries that are often no wider than a few feet.

Sea trout have also been introduced in parts of South America, where world-class sea trout fisheries are now established.

Like other anadromous salmon and trout species, sea trout spawn in small streams. Offsprings hatch in mid to late winter and migrate downstream before entering the ocean. juveniles feed on insects in streams and small crustaceans in estuaries. As their size increases, the size of the crustaceans that they prey on also increases. Shrimp and Gammerus (sand fleas) make up the main diet of most sea trout during their adult phase in the ocean. They feed close to shore among algae beds where these crustaceans inhabit.

When available, herring, sardines, sand eels, tobis become larger sea trout's diet. Due to the higher biomass, sea trout that feed on these baitfish are not only long, but also much wider than sea trout that primarily feed on shrimp.

Unlike pacific salmon, sea trout have the ability to survive after spawning and return to the ocean. Repeat spawners are of course much larger fish that can produce more offsprings.

Along the coast of British Isles, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Germany, sea trout are commonly targeted on the beach. They are also trolled in the North and Baltic Sea. In streams where sea trout return to spawn across Northwestern Europe, anglers also enjoy catching them in summer and part of autumn. In Argentina, river sea trout fishing has become a popular exotic destination for flyfishermen.

Beach fishing for sea trout can be done by both spin and flyfishing. Spincasting often involves lures that weigh between 20 and 30g so the angler can cast as far as possible to cover more ground. These lures usually resemble long baitfish that sea trout feed on. Flyfishermen usually target sea trout with small shrimp patterns in heavily structured waters where fish maybe feeding. It is a year-round fishery, but the timing is different each season. For example, sea trout are more effectively targeted on the beach at night during the summer months when fish come close to shore and feed. In spring and autumn, feeding sea trout can often be spotted so sight fishing can be done effectively. In the winter, sea trout are not as active in coastal waters due to lower water temperature so anglers can only fish blindly by covering as much area as possible.

In streams, sea trout can also be targeted by both spin and flyfishing. Small spinners and crankbaits are commonly used for these aggressive fish. When flyfishing, streamers and dry flies are used, depending on the time of the year.

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