Hooked on Trout
HOOKED ON TROUT
A Fin-tastic Journey Exploring Life Cycles, Ecosystems, and Stewardship
BY MICHELLE BRUCH
Lower School Science Teacher
Our youngest scientists (age 3 through second grades) took on a truly amazing adventure this school year—raising brook trout from tiny eggs to lively fry as part of the “Trout in the Classroom” program. Along the way, they explored life cycles, ecosystems, water quality, and the importance of caring for our local watershed. Through observation, hands-on learning, and a whole lot of wonder, the classroom was transformed into a mini hatchery—and our little scientists into passionate stewards of the environment.
This is our tale of the trout!
September 24:
Getting Ready
We prepared for the arrival of our trout eggs by fully insulating their tank with brightly decorated foam panels. This helped keep the water at a steady, cool temperature—essential for brook trout, which thrive in cold, oxygen-rich streams.
FUN FACT
Keeping the water cool reduces stress on cold-water species, like brook trout, and mimics their natural mountain-stream habitat.
September 25:
The Eggs Arrive
The translucent, orange brook trout eggs arrived in late September, when water temperature is typically cold. Every day we monitored temperature and ammonia/nitrate levels to ensure a healthy environment. When the power went out during their first week with us, we added ice to the tank to keep it cold for the delicate eggs. We had to dispose of any eggs that had no embryos, so fungus would not grow.
October 1:
Learn About Alevin
A newly hatched trout is called an “alevin.” After hatching, the students could see their large yolk sacs were still attached, providing the alevin with the necessary nutrients to survive. The students were also able to observe the alevin’s blood vessels and their hearts beating!
FUN FACT
Brook trout eggs usually hatch in 4–6 weeks, depending on the water temperature.
October 19:
Becoming “Fry”
We watched our trout alevin absorb their yolk sacs, getting ready to grow fully developed fins and they became “fry,” ready for new adventures in the water!
FUN FACT
During the alevin stage, trout rely on their yolk sac for food and don’t need external feeding. This stage is crucial for survival in the wild, hidden away under gravel or stream bed rocks.
November 14:
Once the alevin had become fry, they were ready for their very first feeding! In the wild, they feed on zooplankton. We introduced our fry to specialized trout feed and watched them dart around to grab it.
In mid-November we transferred the fry into a big 55-gallon fish tank, just in time for Thanksgiving!
FUN FACT
In a sustainability lesson, the students learned how to monitor water quality to ensure the fry never received more food than they could eat. Overfeeding can lead to waste buildup and poor water quality.
MARCH 2025
The trout grew bigger and very active. They swam together as a school and always seemed hungry. By March, many of them were a few centimeters long (some pushing 8–10 cm!).
FUN FACT
Healthy water equals healthy fish. We tested pH balance, temperature, and nitrogen compounds often. Good results meant our trout were thriving, but we also learned how small changes can have a big impact on aquatic life.
APRIL 2025
How big did our fish grow?
Our 44 brook trout grew so much over the course of this year! We measured their mass and length just before we released them.
Total Length:
44 trout × 8 cm = 352 cm
(That’s over 3 meters of fish lined up)
Total Mass:
44 trout × 6 g = 264 g
(About the same as a big apple)
The scientists from Trout Unlimited said that our fish were among the largest and healthiest they had seen this year!
April 12:
Brook Trout Release
On Saturday, April 12, we gathered at Elizabeth Furnace in the George Washington National Forest to release our classroom raised fish into a clean, flowing stream. We learned how to fly fish and all about aquatic insects and bait. We walked across the suspension bridge over the Passage Creek, and of course, we released all of our brook trout!
Why It Matters
Returning our trout to a native stream was the final step in this sustainability cycle. By raising trout in a controlled environment, our students developed a real-world understanding of how human actions—like pollution or overfishing—affect local biodiversity.
FUN FACT
President Hoover often fished in Passage Creek, where we released our fish! He believed that “Fishing is a chance to wash one’s soul with pure air.”
And that…is the end of our fishy tale.
