Splake

[Sakalmon]

How can you tell the difference between a splake and a Brook trout? Far as I know I have never seen a splake.

[pmmpete]

Google "difference between splake and brook trout" or difference between splake and lake trout," and you will find some useful information, or at least the information that it can be difficult to distingluish between these kinds of fish just by looking at them.  See, for example, http://alpinecountryoutfitters.blogspot.com/2012/03/whats-difference-splake-vs-brook-trout.html .

[Sakalmon]

I have looked this up. I spoke with a fish biologist and he said the only way is to cut them open and check a certain organ. I am just curious when others talk about catching splake, maybe they know something the biologist don’t.

[Fishrmn]

Brook trout are often referred to as "square tails".  Lake trout have deeply forked tails.  Splake have moderately forked tails.

[nbourque]

Splake don’t have the blue halos like brookies do. At least here in Maine that is the case.

[Hillsfisher]

Hybrids can be very tough to ID.  Some look wildly different from their parents (like tiger trout- brown/brook trout) or they can look exactly like either parent and only genetically different.  Or they can have some visual characteristics of both... 

As far as splake go, as what others have said about the tail is what I have always heard is the best way. 

[Raquettedacker]

I have looked this up. I spoke with a fish biologist and he said the only way is to cut them open and check a certain organ. I am just curious when others talk about catching splake, maybe they know something the biologist don’t.

    You are correct sir....
  The only sure way to distinguish a Splake from a Brook Trout or Lake Trout is to open up the fish and count the pyloric caeca, finger-like projections in the stomach cavity.

It can be positively identified by the number of pyloric caeca, the worm-like appendages on the intestinal tract right after the stomach. The brook trout, which is the smaller parent, has only 23-55 (usually less than 50) pyloric caeca, while the intermediate-sized hybrid has 65-85, and the lake trout, the larger parent, has 93-208 caeca (most often 120-180).