Species guide
Cold-water fish with soft mouths and sharp eyesight, which makes line size and hook size matter more than for almost anything else in freshwater.
Starting setups for the common ways to fish for trout, before you pick a bait. Adjust for your water, cover and presentation in the Setup Builder.
Scroll the table sideways to see every column.
| Technique | Rod | Reel | Main line | Leader | Hook |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spinning | 5'6"–6' Light power · Moderate Fast action |
1000–2500 Spinning reel |
4–6 lb Monofilament |
4–6 lb Fluorocarbon |
#10–#6 Octopus hook |
| Fly fishing | 7'6"–8'6" 4–6 weight |
3/4–5/6 Matched to rod weight |
WF 4–6 floating Weight-forward |
4X–5X 9 ft tapered · about 4–7 lb |
#18–#12 Fly hook |
| Jigging | 5'6"–6' Light power · Fast action |
1000–2000 Spinning reel |
6–12 lb Braided line |
4–8 lb Fluorocarbon |
#10–#6 Octopus hook |
Four simple rigs that state agencies teach for trout in lakes, ponds and streams. Check the water's rules before you tie one on: some trout waters allow artificial lures only, or single barbless hooks.
Cast and reeled back to cover water. In a stream, cast slightly upstream and take up the slack as it comes down; in a lake, let it sink a little before you start reeling.
A piece of worm or a scented dough bait hung under a float in a lake or pond, with a small split shot just above the hook to sink it.
A buoyant dough bait such as PowerBait on a short leader behind a sinker. The sinker rests on the bottom and the bait floats up above it.
Cast upstream of where trout hold and let the current carry the bait along the bottom, reeling in only the slack so you keep pace with it.
Cold streams, tailwaters below dams, mountain lakes and stocked ponds. Stream trout hold in seams, behind boulders and at the head of pools where current delivers food.
Sight feeders that inspect a bait before taking it. In clear water they refuse heavy line and oversized hooks that a bass would ignore completely.
Stocked stream trout usually run 9 to 14 inches. Wild fish in small water are often smaller; tailwater and lake fish can be several pounds.
Most active in water between about 50 and 65 degrees. In summer they move to springs, riffles and deeper cold water; in winter they hold in slow, deep pools and eat small.
A rainbow trout; this guide also covers brown, brook and cutthroat trout.
Pick a bait or lure to get its hook size.
The hook size linked here is for a whole crawler. Under a bobber, use a piece on the bobber rig above.
Hook size for thisHang a piece under a bobber in a lake or pond, or drift it near the bottom in a stream.
Hook size for thisShiners, fatheads and chubs, fished under a float or on a bottom rig.
Hook size for thisA summer bait for panfish and stream trout.
Hook size for thisSmall grubs for panfish, and the standard tipping bait on small jigs.
Hook size for thisFor trout, a single salmon egg hooked through the middle, on a small single hook; the drifting rig above gives the size.
Hook size for thisBuoyant, so it rises off a bottom rig; it also works under a bobber in lakes and ponds.
Hook size for thisA small tail-action plastic on a jig head.
Hook size for thisA single salmon egg or a small piece of worm on a #4 hook looks wrong to a trout. Size the hook to the bait: about #14 to #10 for a single egg, #12 to #8 for a piece of worm, and #10 to #6 for a whole nightcrawler or a minnow.
Ten pound mono on a stocked stream cuts your bites sharply. Four to six pound test is enough for the great majority of trout.
Trout have soft mouths and treble-hook spinners pull free easily. Lift into the fish rather than swinging.
Regulations
Many trout waters have specific seasons, tackle restrictions such as artificial-only or single barbless hooks, and separate stamps or endorsements. State agencies publish these per water body, and they change. Confirm before you go.
Build a complete trout setup
Answer five short questions and get a complete setup: rod length, power and action, reel size, main line, leader and hook, each with the reasoning behind it.