13 Best Trout Fishing Lures | How To Catch More Trout
Table of Contents
Ready To Catch More Trout?
Do you want to catch trout and just not sure how to go about it?
Well, you are not alone.
Several questions might cross your mind when thinking about fishing for trout and choosing the best lure for the job.
Something you may not know though is that where and when you’re fishing for trout can make a big impact on the type of lure you choose. That’s why it’s important to have at least a basic understanding of a trout’s natural tendencies and the type of lure you’ll need to exploit them.
This article will lead you to what you should know about trout fishing, when and where to do it, and what are the best lures that you will need when you’re out there.
Read more to find out!
Use the collapsible accordions below for more information on strategies for fishing for trout.
How To Fish For Trout
As it is widely known, trout are not confined to any one particular place or body of water and can be found in many different geographic areas.
You could find trout in almost any body of water that has a clean water supply and is relatively cooler in temperature.
Similarly, another common spot for trout will be somewhere they can get access to an ample food supply.
To survive and thrive in any particular body of water they will need to be away from threats and predators. Therefore, any place that offers them thorough protection will generally allow them to grow.
Timing and seasonal changes also affect trout and where they can be found at any given time. The right temperatures, seasons, and even the right amount of sunlight play a very prominent role in deciding when and where you should head to fish for trout.
Fishing for trout in lakes and ponds
Lakes and ponds typically have still water where trout can find good places to hide and perfect opportunities for food.
However, due to the threat, they face from predators, they will typically not venture too close to the surface or shore, opting to stay protected. Therefore, there are some possible, identifiable places in lakes and ponds that you can look at in search of trout.
Trout will typically stay in the deeper waters of lakes and ponds, or if the body of water is not extremely deep, they will congregate toward aquatic plants, logs, and/or rocks. This is due to their tendency to stay in cooler waters as well as far away from predators.
When to fish for trout in lakes and ponds?
When fishing for trout in set bodies of water like lakes and ponds, the best time of the year will be in the spring and fall. It’s during these seasons that the water will be cooler and the trout will be more actively coming to the surface of the water in search of food.
In places with warmer climates, winter months could very well be the best option to go fishing for trout as the waters would be cool then.
Fishing for trout in rivers and streams
Trout living in rivers and streams will typically wait at one spot where the water is pooled and where there is some sort of object or structure that they are able to hide under.
They will monitor the passing water current from this location, to find easy food that is floating by.
So be on the lookout for places that would offer a good view of the current as well as easy hiding. These places would include rocks or near any undercut banks.
They can also be found in the slower as well as the deeper pools where the water current is not very fast.
When to fish for trout in rivers and streams?
The ideal time for fishing for trout in rivers and streams will be in the spring and fall as the temperature of the flowing river are relatively cooler in those months and the trout are more actively feeding.
When the water starts warming up during the summer months, trout will generally search out for cooler water to hang out in.
However, some rivers also have trout sightings all year round. Fishing for trout can also be done during the winter months, but be aware that trout are generally slower and less responsive during the winter.
While winters are particularly great for trout in some areas, the summers, to a certain extent, could be ideal too. The trout could thrive in warm waters as and when the summer sets in. However, after the temperatures reach a certain point, it could start affecting the trout’s behavior adversely and could then impact the fishing season.
In temperatures ranging from 45 degrees and below, the trout are found to be terribly slow. At about 50 degrees, they become active and start feeding. 55 degrees is the ideal temperature to fish for brown and brook trout while the optimal temperatures for rainbow trout are about 60 degrees.
As the temperature starts reaching about 65 degrees, the trout slow down their feeding process and begin looking for cooler temperatures to stay in. Temperatures of about 70 degrees are often considered dangerous for the trout while those ranging from 75 degrees to anywhere more than that could most likely be fatal for these fish.
Selecting The Right Trout Lure
Now that you have a basic idea of where trout are based on when and where you’ll be fishing for them, it’s time to pick out the right lure for the job.
If you know you’re going to be fishing for trout in a lake during the summer, then you’ll definitely need a lure that’s going to sink low enough to be seen by the trout.
But if you’re fishing in that same lake during the spring or fall when the trout are coming up to the surface for food, then a lure that stays near the surface will likely work better.
This same concept applies to fishing for trout in a river. You’ll want to find the right lure for the job.
We’ve categorized the lures below by the best type of lure and specified whether they’re good for surface fishing or if the lure sinks and will work better when the trout are in deeper waters.
Here are some of the tried and trusted options that you can choose from:
Best spinner trout lure
1
If you are looking to own a spinner lure, this would be the best in the business. Many call the Panther Martin spinner the best trout fishing lure on the market.
It uses a unique shaft through blade design that eventually helps in creating an easy and faster-spinning action to solve your purpose.
This product uses the convex and concave blades to send out sonic vibrations that lure the trout in. It also comprises heavyweights that go down deeper to help you catch trout that are hanging out in deeper waters. Its premium quality blades keep the fish hooked on to them.
This product would be evenly great for any time of the year or location.
What makes this fishing spinner lure stand out?
- Best design
- Premium quality blades
- Supersonic vibrations
- Heavyweight
- Premium quality blades
Spinner Lure Runner Up
2
This one is known to be the original French spinner and is often considered to be one of the best in terms of quality and performance.
It comprises of a treble hook that has double the sharpness as compared to other hooks. This one can also be used in any season and has no location bar.
What makes this fishing spinner lure stand out?
- Double sharp treble hook
- Number one in quality
- Number one in performance
Best Crankbait Floating Minnow
3
Known for its optimized Balsa wood construction, this crankbait floating minnow makes one of the best trout lures. It presents with a natural-looking minnow profile that helps in efficient tricking of the trout.
It is also famous for its VMC Black Nickel hooks and is available in two different patterns to choose from – classic as well as bleeding.
It would be best to use this lure while the trout are near the water’s surface.
What makes this crankbait floating minnow lure stand out?
- Natural-looking minnow structure
- VMC Black Nickel hooks
- Variety of patterns
Crankbait Floating Minnow Runner Up
4
Considered to be the second-best option for the trout lure in the crankbait minnow category, this lure uses miniature fish versions to trick the trout.
It comes in a plastic box with 5 small fish to act as lures. Much like the best lure in the crankbait minnow category, this one is also ideal for use as and when the trout come around the surface of the water and are easy to capture from the shore itself
What makes this crankbait floating minnow lure stand out?
- Efficient miniature lures
- Well-built cast on ultraviolet rods
Best Jointed Crankbait Minnow
5
This one is the best in the category of the broken back or jerk bait lures and efficiently uses the ‘broken body’ of your bait to attract trout toward the lure.
It has been optimally designed using high-class premium quality plastic to fish in three very different ways – and can be used by slowly reeling on the surface, retrieving at a constant speed, or by pausing and twitching like a true jerkbait.
It would only be best to use it when the trout will be near the surface of the water.
What makes this Jointed Crankbait Minnow lure stand out?
- Optimal design
- Jerkbait technology
- Premium quality plastic
- Three different ways of usage
Best LED Crankbait Minnow
6
Another best in the category of crankbait minnow model, this one comes with a rechargeable LED. You can either get the charged or uncharged model as per your choice. The LED mechanism is best designed to initiate a trigger in the fish and attract it towards the lure.
This product comes with the Mustad treble hooks that hold your target fish for as long as possible – making it an efficient and powerful fishing tool that also presents a super quality performance.
It can efficiently deliver results for 12 hours straight after charging it for just 2.5 hours. It is also equipped with technology that keeps the battery from eroding in the saltwater.
It would be best to use this product when the trout are near the surface of the water.
What makes this LED Crankbait Minnow One Of The Best Trout Fishing Lures?
- Mustad treble hooks
- LED for better fish tricking
- Long-lasting battery operations
Best Crankbait Sinking Minnow
7
This one is also a good option to consider if you are looking for a crankbait that will sink to lower water levels. The Rapala Countdown slowly sinks below the surface allowing you to reach the lower depths of a lake or pond.
This sinking crankbait features a controlled depth system that allows you to reach the desired water depth and then keep the lure at that depth based on the speed you reel in the lure.
Since it has this controlled depth feature it can be used to reach trout that are in the deeper areas of a lake or pond or can be reeled in at a fast enough pace to keep the lure toward to surface of the water. This diverse functionality makes this an amazing trout lure.
So this lure can be used when the trout are either near the surface or are hanging out at the lower levels of the water
What makes this Crankbait Sinking Minnow lure stand out?
- Sturdy built
- New depth technology
Crankbait Sinking Minnow Trout Lure Runner Up
8
This lure is our runner up in the crankbait sinking minnow category. It has the Smithwick inbuilt technology that allows it to suspend under the water after letting it sink.
It has a solid and sturdy construction that will provide you with great results for the life of the lure.
Since it’s designed to sink to lower depths, we would recommend opting to use this lure when the trout will be hanging out in deeper waters.
What makes this Crankbait Sinking Minnow lure stand out?
- Sturdy built
- Even-floating technology
- Made from premium quality materials
Best Swimbait Lure
9
This product boasts a Japanese style design and is made up of high-quality material to efficiently attract a trout and effectively snag them on the ultra-sharp BKK back hook.
It also comes with a 3D paddle tail that gives off vibrations and attracts the fish towards the lure. The shape is perfectly designed to get the job done.
Since the lure is designed to sink it can be used when the trout are hanging out at lower depths of the water. Making this a great trout fishing lure when fishing in lakes or larger bodies of water.
What makes this Swimbait Lure stand out?
- BKK back hooks
- 3D paddle tail for smooth vibrations
- Efficient Japanese style design
Swimbait Lure Runner Up
10
This one is a good option to consider if you are looking for a swimbait trout lure. It efficiently imitates a distressed minnow that erratically moves from side to side and kicks frantically – making it look like easy prey to the trout you’re fishing for.
This model includes five bodies as well as two removable heads. It comes in a shape that keeps the body upright and allows the hook to not get snagged underwater.
The paddle tail helps in sending out vibrations that attract fish to the lure.
This swimbait is designed to sink so can be used when the trout are hanging out deeper in the water.
What makes this Swimbait Lure stand out?
- Multi-part body
- Removable heads
- Paddle tail
Best artificial bait
11
This is the best artificial bait for trout that you would find in the business.
It has been designed specially to hold a special flavor and smell to attract trout to it. The lure has a different colored head and tail so that it stands out more in the water.
The fishtails work best on football and swing head hooks.
They come in a pack of 13 allowing you to throw out multiple hooks at once with the PowerBait loaded.
Due to the PowerBait flavor, the lure helps hold trout on the hook up to eighteen times longer than other artificial bait.
This is specially designed to be used with a sinker so that the mouse tails can reach the correct depth of the trout.
What makes this artificial bait stand out?
- More number of hooks
- 18 times longer holding capacity
- Special flavor and scent to attract trout
Artificial Trout bait Runner up
12
This one is considered to be the second-best in the category of artificial baits for catching trout. It is made up of high-quality materials and is specially engineered to catch more trout at any given point in time.
Not only that, but this is also one of the renowned names in the business and is trusted by many. The nuggets are full of gulp flavor bits and are easy to handle with minimal mess.
This product can be best used with sinkers to reach the correct depth where the trout reside underwater.
What makes this artificial bait stand out?
- Made of high-quality materials
- Specially designed to catch more fish
- Trusted by experts
- Full of gulp flavor to give you the best results
Best Spoon Casting Lure
13
This is a particularly trusted product as it has been tested by experienced anglers in the field – this doubling its credibility as and when compared to the other lures.
It is the best option in the category of spoon casting lures. These are designed using premium quality material especially to survive the test of time.
The Kastmaster is also specially built in such a way that it won’t erode or break under pressure. There would be no harm even with saltwater exposure.
It would particularly be useful for fishing in deeper waters when the trout are hanging out below the surface.
Many anglers swear by the spoon casting lures saying that it is one of the best trout fishing lures they’ve ever used.
Even though it may be last on this list, it’s definitely not least. Go check it out!
What makes this artificial bait stand out?
- Medium-heavy spinner
- Premium quality materials used for it to last long
- Specially tested on the field by experts in the field
Conclusion
In retrospect, several factors need to be considered when you decide on fishing for trout. You can find trout in a host of places including confined waters like lakes and ponds as well as loose waters like rivers and streams.
Not only that, the right kind of temperatures, seasons, and even the right amount of sunlight needs to be taken into consideration if you want to have success fishing for trout.
Next, you need to make sure you have the right kind of equipment to successfully catch trout.
For that purpose, there are different types of fishing lures that you can choose to catch trout at just the right moment. These could include crankbaits, jerk bait as well as LED models to lure the trout.
You could try a host of options to see what works best for you.
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