The Best Trout Lures: A Comprehensive Guide

While trout are one of the most popular sport fish in America, they can also be some of the trickiest to catch when the correct techniques and lures are not used. Varying water clarity, temperatures, and the type of water body all impact what trout will eat and how it should be fished. In this article, I will be focusing on the best lures, both for spinning gear and flies, to help you catch more trout more often. 

Types of Trout and Their Behavior 

Depending on the area of the US you are fishing, the species of trout will differ slightly. East of the Mississippi provides the opportunity to target brown, brook, and rainbow trout, though brook trout are the only species that are native to the East Coast.

 As you move west toward the Rockies, these three species are still prevalent but are not native, and the cutthroat trout becomes the token species. All trout species are exceptionally beautiful, but their size does vary based on species. 

Brown trout are typically the largest and most ferocious of the common trout species. Rainbows and cutthroat are typically similar in demeanor and appearance, though this can change as the body of water does. Brook trout are by far the smallest trout species on average, mostly due to their native habitats being more heavily impacted and invasive trout species like browns and rainbows taking over. 

Read also: How to Catch Trout: Tips and Techniques for Successful Trout Fishing

All four of these main trout species present their own unique challenge and keep the trout fishing world interesting. For example, brown trout tend to be aggressive compared to other trout species, so using larger baitfish imitators like inline spinners or articulated streamers for the fly fishermen out there can be more effective than using smaller flies or lures you may use to target other species. Brook trout tend to readily feed on large insects that have fallen into the water, so fly fishing a big dry fly can be advantageous, though they will still bite on smaller baitfish patterns. Rainbow trout will typically hit smaller baitfish patterns with lots of flash, but if that doesn’t work, it might be necessary to downsize the lure or fly and use a more drift-style approach. Cutthroats vary wildly in their aggressiveness and pickiness. In the smaller ‘blue-line’ streams, cutthroats tend to be quite aggressive, taking large dry flies and mid-size baitfish artificials. In larger water bodies, typically those with more fishing pressure, cutthroat can be extremely picky. They will hit a small jerk bait or inline spinner, but I have had the most success with a fly rod and small ‘buggy’ flies. 

Mastering the right lures and techniques can greatly enhance your trout fishing experience. With the Fishbox app, you can boost your chances even further by receiving real-time weather updates and in-depth forecasts, allowing you to plan your fishing trips with precision.

Best Lures for Trout 

Spinning gear is quite common for trout fishing, and there are a variety of options, colors, and styles of artificial lures for trout. When spin fishing, you are typically trying to imitate baitfish or small trout that the trout may be feeding on. Below is a list of some of my favorite good lures for trout to use when I’m spin fishing for trout. 

• Inline spinnerbait: Inline spinners are small lures with a lot of flash and a quick sink rate. They are extremely good at getting reaction strikes out of almost any fish. This is when the fish hit the lure, not thinking it’s even food but just because it is flashy and in their area. Color is far less important for spinner bait because it is mainly the flash caused by the blade that attracts attention. 
• Jerk bait: Small jerk baits, around the 1–2-inch (2,5–5 cm) range, can be quite good for catching trout. You may want to go even bigger if you know the water you are fishing in has trophy fish in it. Jerk baits do a good job of imitating small darting baitfish like many you may find in trout streams both on the east coast and further west. The best color varies based on the baitfish in the river system you are fishing, but you can almost never go wrong with a dark natural brown or reflective white. I typically throw on a darker, less flamboyant lure when fishing clear water and a flashier color when the water is darker or stained.  
• Crankbaits: Like jerk baits, I have had great success catching trout with small crankbaits. They are fished in a largely similar way to jerk baits, though they typically run deeper in the water column. I would recommend the same dark/natural or reflective color scheme depending on the shade of water you are fishing.  
• Marabou jig: This lure is probably my favorite trout fishing lure to use when spin fishing for trout because of its realistic movement. The marabou gives the jig a ton of lifelike movement, not to mention the weight that allows for great casting distance even when using smaller patterns. Marabou jigs are best used in deeper and slower water because they have a very fast sink rate, a medium-speed retrieve, and slight pops at the rod tip, which are lethal for trout, in my experience. 

Fly fishing for trout is slightly more popular than spin fishing because it allows you to fish smaller and lighter lures (flies) than you can cast with spinning gear. In general, fly selection is not hugely critical because there are so many patterns that are very similar in appearance and movement. There are three main types of flies that fishermen use to great success. The first is a streamer, which represents a larger food type like a baitfish or crawfish. These can be weighted or unweighted. A second is nymphs which is a huge category but covers basically any fly that goes underwater. These mimic small bugs that live in trout rivers, lakes, and streams and are one of the main sources of food for trout. The third is dry flies, which float on the surface of the water, representing a bug that has fallen into the water like a grasshopper or a fly that is hatching out of the water like a caddis or mayfly. As I said before, fly selection can vary hugely because there are so many options, but below is a list of my favorite flies and the ones I have had the greatest success with. 

• Bead Head Hares Ear Nymph: This is one of the most versatile flies out there, as it can represent nearly any aquatic insect in any water body. The hare’s ear provides a very buggy look to it, and fish love it. It is my go-to pattern at every stream I fish. I recommend sizes between 12 and 16 inches (30–40 cm) in natural, olive, and tan, as most aquatic insects fall into this color range. 
• Stonefly Nymph: The stonefly isn’t a fly for which I use a specific pattern. When I talk about stonefly nymphs, I mean a larger nymph (around 6-12  inches (15–30 cm)) with long legs. Any pattern that imitates this will be effective, and I’ve found that when the hare’s ear is ineffective, it’s typically because the trout are looking for a larger meal, and that’s where a stonefly pattern thrives. 
• Chubby Chernobyl: This is probably my all-around favorite fly to fish. It is incredibly effective both because it floats so well and because it imitates countless bugs that may have happened in the water. It floats so well that I frequently tie a nymph to the back about 12-18 inches (30–45 cm) off the hook bend. This fly can imitate anything from a grasshopper to a large caddis fly, and if the fish aren’t being super picky, it is your best bet in my opinion. 
• Stimulator: If I think the fish in an area is going to be a little pickier, I’ll throw on a stimulator instead of a chubby. This fly looks a little bit closer to some of the aquatic insects that hatch out of the water while still being buoyant enough to support a second fly off the back for fish holding on the bottom.  
• Parachute Adams: This is a smaller dry fly that I use less frequently than the first two mentioned, but it is still quite effective. When small insects are hatching or there are just a lot of small bugs on the water’s surface, this is a great go, too. It is very versatile, representing an assortment of bugs that trout eat, and is one of the best fly patterns out there. 
• Sculpin Pattern Streamer: Sculpin are small bottom feeders that live in many trout watersheds. The particular pattern of streamer you use isn’t the most important, but I like a sculpin pattern because they tend to be a little bit thicker and more ‘flowy’ providing very realistic movement. 

How to Choose the Right Lure 

Choosing the right fishing lures for trout fishing comes down to several key factors: water clarity, weather, location, and the trout species. While there are no hard rules as to what works when I will share some general advice to give you a starting place. 

In clear water, I have always had more luck with natural color lures and flies. The dark brown and olives seem to attract fish better than the chrome or white lures and flies in clear water. When the water is murky or off-color, I like to use something a little flashier or brighter because I seem to get more strikes when I do. For fly selection, it doesn’t change too much for water clarity, except for streamers, which can be treated the same as a regular lure in terms of color. If the water is very murky, I will stay away from dry flies and just put on one of the nymph selections I have above. In super clear water, it can also be advantageous to put on a smaller fly size as the fish can see a bit better and may turn down a bigger fly. 

As far as weather goes, the knowledge of dark day dark lure, light day light lure works as a good guide as to what you should try first. This means opting for a more tan or lighter fly/lure when the water is clear and the day is sunny. For overcast or rain, it is normally better to go with darker artificial lures for trout. 

When fishing lakes versus rivers or streams, I haven’t found that fish hit different lures or flies. In both rivers and lakes, I stick by the same knowledge I’ve written above. In lakes, however, it is typically better to work the area more slowly as the fish will cruise the banks more often than sitting in one place, so casting multiple times in the same spot can often produce a fish. 

For streams or rivers, everything depends on the size of the fish in the water body. If there are only small brook trout, you are going to want to try much smaller artificials and flies, but if you are targeting big brown trout, the best bet is a big streamer or spinner bait. The species of trout I’m targeting typically doesn’t change my lure selection for trout all too much, though it can in some cases. For example, as I’ve said before, brown trout are more aggressive than the other common species, and because of that, throwing a large streamer or lure pattern is more likely to attract big brown trout than any of the other species. Brook trout are also aggressive, though they key in on flies more than baitfish lures. Because most brookies are under ten or so inches, they can’t really eat other fish unless they are really small, so putting on a big dry fly or nymph, which is still small compared to most spinners or other trout lures, can be the best option. 

Rainbow trout will hit a baitfish lure about as often as a fly, in my experience. I also believe spinners are the best lure for rainbow trout. While I like using a fly rod, an inline spinner, especially for stocked rainbows, but even for wild ones, seems to be the best strategy. 

Cutthroats can often be picky, and figuring out what they are eating can be difficult. There is always a chance they will hit a streamer or lure like a spinner, but I have the most success with dry flies. The ones I have listed above paired with a nymph have been my go-to for cutthroat, especially in places where they tend to be smaller.

Read also: How to Catch Rainbow Trout – A Comprehensive Guide

FAQ

Conclusion

There are a variety of good trout lures and combinations, but the most effective in my experience are those I’ve listed above. It is important to note that if what you are fishing with is not working, switching it to another lure can be necessary. Sometimes, the fish have already seen the lure you are fishing with that day, and sometimes, they are just keyed in on a different look. This takes practice, and the more you do it, the better you will get at determining what lure or fly to try first. The most important part is to have your line in the water.

Understanding the right lures and techniques can significantly improve your trout fishing experience. With the Fishbox app, you can further enhance your success by accessing real-time weather updates and detailed forecasts that help you plan your fishing trips.