I'm not sure there's anything better than fresh caught trout fried up over a campfire right by the river.

When you cook freshwater trout, do you bother to scale them first, or just cook with scales on?

Skin on wrapped in foil stuffed with pico, garlic butter, seasoning

The best and only way I ever eat freshwater trout is at a shore lunch, fried up by guide, while fishing the White out of Cotter Trout Dock. Some great fishing, eating, and scenery.

Leave skin on. No need to scale them!

leave skin on
lemon - butter - pepper
SON

Eat walleye instead, trout are over rated.

Sorry, I'm jaded because we fish for trout so much. Much better eating fish, imo. Walleye, pike and yellow perch come to mind.

Well .... since I am hoping to fish the White River in Arkansas, I doubt that I will have the opportunity to catch many Walleye.

I have been to Wyoming many times, and loaded up on fresh cutthroat. I can't think of anything better than fresh cutthroat fried up in a little butter. But you're like the people I know in Kodiak, Ak. They don't really like Salmon because they get it all the time. If they DO eat Salmon, it's Silver/Coho or Red Salmon if they can get it. They say the Kings are too oily and the Pink are garbage.

Down here in North Texas, It's either catfish, sandbass, drum, carp, and if you're lucky some crappie. Yeah, I want some TROUT.

To each their own. Good Luck.

The only trout that I think eats better than walleye is brook trout. Hard to beat them over an open fire. The secret to having good trout to eat is to avoid the hatchery fish if you can. Lots of difference between a trout that has been eating scuds, freshwater shrimp and natural food and one that has been eating pellets.

Brookies are ok, if you can catch big enough ones.
We like to make a little willow grill and cook over a fire next to the creek when we do eat them. Lemon pepper if you have it or just the flavor of fresh trout, and all the bones. Just split them down the belly and open up on the grill or a stick over the fire.
We're lucky in that a local lake right outside of town has loads of fresh water shrimp so those rainbows are tasty as well but again I'd rather have walleye or some cold water crappie.

I love to catch trout, I just release them whenever possible.

Big Hopper come on up to Wyoming again. We still have great trout fishing, crappie and walleye too.

I didn't think trout had scales..

Caught a lot of trout as a kid with my step dad. Stuff the cavity with lemon, onion, S&P, butter, wrap in foil and toss next to the coals of your fire. Something about eating them within sight of the river or stream you caught them in probably makes them taste even better.