Hook sizes
What size hook for trout
Trout bait hooks are small: about #14 to #10 for single salmon eggs, #12 to #8 for a piece of worm, and #10 to #6 for a whole nightcrawler or a minnow. Dough bait goes on a #18 to #16 treble, where trebles and bait are legal. Small plugs and inline spinners normally keep the factory hook matched to the lure; the examples here run #10 to #6, while spoons may carry a larger hook. Flies are sized by pattern, mostly #18 to #12 for dries and nymphs. In clear water, start at the small end: trout get a long look at the bait and shy away from heavier line. Some trout waters require single hooks or artificial lures, so check the rules before changing hardware.
Hook size by bait
Where a bait appears twice, each row is a different technique, because the presentation can change the hook. A hook marked "comes on the lure" is the size the lure usually carries, not one to choose.
Scroll the table sideways to see every column.
| Bait or lure | Technique | Hook size | Hook style |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nightcrawler | Spinning or jigging | #10–#6 | Octopus hook |
| Red worm or garden worm | Spinning or jigging | #12–#8 | J hook |
| Live minnow | Spinning or jigging | #10–#6 | Octopus hook |
| Cricket or grasshopper | Spinning | #12–#8 | J hook |
| Waxworm or mealworm | Spinning or jigging | #14–#10 | Jig hook (leadhead) |
| Salmon eggs or cured roe | Spinning or jigging | #14–#10 | Octopus hook |
| Dough bait | Spinning | #18–#16 | Treble hook |
| Plastic grub or curly tail | Spinning or jigging | #12–#8 | Jig hook (leadhead) |
| Hair or marabou jig | Spinning or jigging | #12–#8 | Jig hook (leadhead), comes on the lure |
| Crankbait | Spinning | #10–#6 | Treble hook, comes on the lure |
| Jerkbait | Spinning | #10–#6 | Treble hook, comes on the lure |
| Casting or trolling spoon | Spinning or jigging | #6–#1 | Treble hook, comes on the lure |
| Inline spinner | Spinning | #10–#6 | Treble hook, comes on the lure |
| Dry fly | Fly fishing | #18–#14 | Fly hook |
| Nymph | Fly fishing | #16–#12 | Fly hook |
| Streamer | Fly fishing | #8–#4 | Fly hook |
Sizes are ranges because hook numbering is not standardized. Two hooks stamped the same size in different styles or from different brands can differ noticeably in gap.
Hook size by rig
The common trout rigs and the hook each one takes.
- Single salmon egg
- #14 to #10 · Small light-wire single hook. Hook the egg through the middle.
- Dough or cheese bait
- #18 to #16 · Small treble. Mold the bait around the treble. Only where treble hooks and bait are allowed.
- Worm, minnow or other bait drifted on the bottom
- #14 to #6 · Light-wire bait hook. The small end for a piece of worm, the large end for a whole nightcrawler or a minnow.
- Inline spinner
- Choose the spinner size · Comes on the lure. In Mepps sizes, #00 to #1 for small-stream trout and #2 or #3 for bigger fish. Swap to a single hook where the rules require one.
- Dry flies and nymphs
- #18 to #12 · Fly hook. Match the size of the insects the trout are eating. Streamers run larger.
Sources for this guidance
- Missouri Department of Conservation — Trout Fishing Tips A single hook in sizes 10 to 16 for salmon eggs, hooked through the middle of the egg, and a size 16 to 18 treble for most cheese and dough baits; in clear water, trout often see heavier line and shy away. Checked October 6, 2026.
- Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission — Trout Minnows, worms, salmon eggs and prepared baits on a light-wire hook, sizes 6 to 14. Checked October 6, 2026.
- Orvis — Tom's top 10 trout flies Manufacturer's fly list: common dries and nymphs in sizes 12 to 18, with Woolly Bugger streamers larger.
- Mepps — Trout fishing with Aglia spinners Manufacturer guidance on spinner size for trout: #00, #0 and #1 for small-stream fish, #2 or #3 for larger trout.
- North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission — Trout Fishing Wild-trout and catch-and-release waters, and delayed-harvest waters from October 1 into early June, allow only artificial lures with one single hook; local rules control.
Get a size for your exact setup
Get a hook size and hook style for what you are actually fishing, the sizes either side of it, and when to move up or down.
Related hook size guides
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- Full fishing hook size chartSelected common sizes from #28 to 12/0 with typical uses.
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Need the rod, reel and line too? See the complete trout fishing setup guide