The Wisconsin Center for Wildlife and the UW-Stevens Point College of Natural Resources invite you to the fifth seminar
in the Changing Climate of Natural Resources series

March 12, 2020

Wisconsin's Coldwater Trout Fisheries in a Warming Climate

by Matt Mitro, Ph.D.
Coldwater Fisheries Research Scientist
Office of Applied Science
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

Climate warming is a threat to the survival of fishes such as Brook Trout and Brown Trout, which are adapted to cold water and provide important fisheries in many Wisconsin streams. I will present an overview of model projections showing how climate change may affect future distributions of trout in streams across the state, including which regions are more vulnerable than others; I will show examples of how stream temperatures have warmed and species interactions have changed trout fisheries, consistent with ongoing changes in climate; and I will discuss management and adaptation strategies to build resilience to climate warming by providing for robust trout populations and keeping coldwater streams cold.


Matthew Mitro is a fisheries research scientist with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Based in Madison, Matt has been working with the DNR since 2003 on statewide fisheries issues with a focus on trout in Wisconsin’s inland streams. Matt has also worked for the EPA’s Atlantic Ecology Division and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. He earned his Ph.D. in fisheries at Montana State University studying Rainbow Trout recruitment.