The Best Trophy Brown Trout fishing in the Eastern US . . .

Sometime in the next year, I'll be taking my soon to be 13 year old son on a great fishing adventure.  He's got trophy browns on his brain.  
 
If you could pick one water to fish for trophy browns east of the Mississippi River, where would you go and what time of year would it be, with the following limitations?
 
- A place without the crowds of the Lake Erie or Ontario tribs
- A place that feels at least a little like a wilderness experience
- A place that doesn't require a boat
 
 
 

SwimFishieSwim-- any more info on that?  I'll be in Milwaukee in the first week of October and would love to pursue browns in the tribs.   I do know they get some absolute monsters in that area in the lake.

Couple years ago I was over 300 browns in a creek near lake ontario with just me and a friend in them. You can get lucky if you hunt enough spots. Landed a 16 lb brown and had another 15 lb plus beat and lost it at my feet before I grabbed it. But with kids its different. My 4 year olds will be with me in Erie, but nowhere near the madness.

Most N.Y. tribs have trophy Browns. I like mid November during the week only.
Problem is they mostly all have crowds. Some creeks are small and require some good skills because the Browns are so spooked so it might be tough on a 13 year old to hook fish.
I would take a buddy and put your boy in the center. Hit one of the more popular creeks and get their super early and claim your spot. It would be well worth it just to let him hook into a few! Most guys will give you room if your there before them, but you sometimes have to remind certain jerks! 
 
 N.Y. is close enough to hit the weather right if you want to leave quick while it's good.
Weather is the major issue on distant trips. Plan all you want weather controls the game !
 
Have you ever fished the Niagara ? I don't know how much cash you want to spend on this trip but a once in lifetime river charter should give him fishing memories he won't forget !
 

Either the western shore of Lake Michigan (shoreline or tributaries) or Lake Ontario (again, shoreline or Tribs) anywhere from October-December. Not exactly a wilderness experience but that's where the biggest Browns in the US reside.

If you want a wilderness experience, fish Appalachian maintain streams, especially around western NC. The fish won't be as large but you should be able to avoid the larger crowds for the most part.

1st or 2nd week of November I miss making those trips but I enjoy archery more...GOODLUCK WCW

XtopwaterkingX
If you keep a PMA and make it about having fun with the kids an hopefully a few fish, it will be a good time. Crowds or not. I take my 7 and 11 yo up every year in October an they always love it.

He's a very good fisherman for his age, and entirely self sufficient now.  He's been going to Erie with me since he was 7, and is now becoming an avid fly fisherman.  He fishes for hours on end, whether he's catching a lot or nothing at all and the last few years has caught more steelhead than I have.    

johnthefisherman
More locally, I'd suggest the Little Juniata River here in Central PA if yall never tried it, it's a great back to wilderness experience, yet, it's local to State College, Altoona, and Huntingdon, where there is some lodging, restaurants, and entertainment. Most of the river is catch and release. In early May- June, the Sulphur dunn hatch is world famous, and in the evenings, it's a sight to behold seeing clouds of bugs in the air, and the water boiling with fish rising, I've taken browns over 20 inches during this hatch. For true trophy, "measured in pounds and not inches" trout, there are plenty of opportunities to throw streamers at banks and slackwater areas, especially early in the morning, at night, or after a good rain. In addition, I know of one pool where multiple experts believe at least one PA state record brown will come from. 

You're saying that there is a pool in the Little J that has the potential to produce Browns larger that migratory Great Lakes Browns, with the state record currently sitting 19.5 pounds? If so, I know what I'm doing next weekend LOL.

I meet a guy fishing on the N.Y. tribs years ago. He was a big game guide from Wyoming and says he tries to come to N.Y every year to fish. I said you have got some great Trout fishing throughout Wyoming why are you here ? He said yes we do, but a Brown Trout over 10lbs. is almost impossible there, but here they are fairly common.  I'm in search of a trophy Brown.
 
He was fly fishing and I was using my spin outfit. He was asking me if I had any suggestions about what flies work good on this creek. I said even though I don't fly fish I know exactly what flies and colors to try. He looked a little puzzled at first and said I'm open to any good suggestions.
I told him look closely at that tree across the stream with the low hanging branches. It was just loaded with all the local flies they use ! He started laughing and said thanks I see that's a dead give away !