2nd wild or stocked post of the new year?

[KenU]

Wild, IMO. You can’t just go by the color. Look at the intensity of the markings and how clean and sharp the fins are. Trout are typically pretty light in color early in the year and/or when they are living in an open area with a light bottom. And at that size it probably is not yet sexually mature, which would also account for its lighter color.

 

[troutbert]

Looks wild to me. The fins look perfect, and the gill cover looks good.

The coloration is not at all unusual for wild browns. The coloration of wild browns varies a great deal. Many wild browns in the limestone streams in central PA look similar to that.