In cold weather, when the lake is iced over, trout are found closer to the surface, at a depth of about 10 feet (3 m). For example, 5-10 ft. off the bottom in 30 ft. of water or 20-30 ft. off the bottom in 80 ft. of water. For your lure, choose a spinner with a weightless lure or opt for salmon or minnows if you prefer live bait. They will also have some smaller panfish. This article has been viewed 400,423 times. Simply target the deepest basin of a pond year round. There are lots (and lots) of ways to fish for trout, but three of the easiest ways to fish for trout in lakes are: Suspending bait under a bobber. Source: Ravalli Republic. Fishing for trout in a lake can be remarkably productive. When you're fishing, try jigging for trout by attaching a minnow to a spoon jig. Bait your hook with floating bait so your offering rises up close to the thermocline. To constantly stay moving and feed actively, Trout need cold, oxygenated water that is rich enough to hold forage. Free 5-7 Day Shipping on Orders Over $50! Tie on your hook and secure a floating style bait such as powerbait dough or eggs. In the summer months, Trout will seek deeper water for colder temperatures, but not so deep that the pressure exacerbates them. Lake Taneycomo Trophy Trout Fishing. In large bodies of water, Trout hold to the thermocline, which is a gradient layer in the water column where cold water meets warm water and mixes nutrients and oxygen. The lighter line has less friction with the water, allowing you cast your line to the very bottom of the lake with ease. You can swim it through, jig it off the bottom, or yo-yo it from top to bottom. Trout tend to prefer cooler water and often hang out in currents or shallow parts of a lake. It’s sort of like dancing, but with a fish. A reservoir style lake often sports inlets and outlets of rivers or streams that introduce fresh sources of cold water. Alternatively, drag a weighted line under water from your boat to troll for trout. A bottom rig is a great option for fishing with floating bait or live bait. A productive technique when learning how to fish for Trout in a lake is casting and retrieving lures. If you are shore fishing for trout in a lake from the shore, you will likely be limited to the areas you have access to. 3-4 split shots should get your bait down 5-8 ft. from the surface. Attach a lead weight above the hook to sink your bait. The weight is determined by your speed and the season. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 400,423 times. Due to overfishing, their natural population has been depleted, but they're commonly stocked in lakes from the midwestern US through Canada. If you troll your lure without any weight, it should run 1-3 ft. below the surface. Catching Trout in Lakes. To troll, you will need a vessel that can propel your lures through the water at a similar speed to your casting retrieves. Use spinners, spoons, and crankbaits when Trout are feeding aggressively. Locating Trout, applying the right tactic, and presenting your bait effectively are the most important factors to a successful Trout fishing trip in open water. All Rights Reserved, Learning how to fish for Trout in a lake with a lot of open water is a daunting task, but it is worth. https://www.countyofsb.org/parks/cachumafishing.sbc, http://www.fishingtipsdepot.com/lake-trout-fishing-tips.php#lake-trout-fishing-facts, https://www.fishingtipsdepot.com/lake-trout-fishing-tips/#lake-trout-fishing-tips, https://bassfishing-gurus.com/lake-trout-deep-water-fishing/, https://www.merkelscamp.com/laketrouttips.htm, https://www.northernontario.travel/algoma-country/attractor-trolling-for-lake-trout-try-these-tips-tricks-when-fishing-in-algoma-country, https://www.ontario.ca/page/inland-lakes-designated-lake-trout-management, https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-350-79135_79218_79614_82519---,00.html, http://www.twin-lakes-air.com/lake-trout.htm, https://www.fishingtipsdepot.com/lake-trout-fishing-tips/#lake-trout-info, consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Many areas stock their lakes with trout, meaning that there’s plenty there for the taking. It’s adjacent to the Saskat… All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published. You can find trout in rivers, creeks, and lakes. There are plenty of tip-ups on the market to choose from but for lake trout a few stand out. Cut off a piece of mono or fluorocarbon leader, roughly 2-4 ft. To create this article, 16 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. Use a light-action rod with 4 to 6 pound test line. Similar to the suspending crankbait, soft plastic lures drive results based on how you present them. Distill all the 'wisdom' down, and you are likely to come up with the following 'best times' to go fishing for trout: Start before dawn and fish through till sunlight lights up the water. Sometimes Trout need a target to lock in on, and a piece of bait helps them focus. Unlike reservoirs and lakes, ponds are limited in terms of inflow, temps and structure. Use a spinning reel or bait caster and any type of rod with the properly weighted line. A lake that’s good for trout fishing is usually going to be windy at times. I will be fishing off a dock. Small weightless lures and spinners typically make the best artificial bait. It's more difficult to figure out where the trout are hanging out and reach them with your line. The deeper you fish, the longer your leader should be. During the hot summer months, Trout are deeper and typically further from shore. This layer is generally located in the bottom two-thirds of the water column. Lake Trout Fishing Equipment. . Inflows/outflows are most active in Spring and Fall, and are your primary location when fishing a reservoir. Natives to most cold water tributaries of the Pacific Ocean, the West Coast is one of the best places to find trout of any size, species, or color. Fishing flies on the swing (casting cross-current and letting the moving water drag the fly down and across the flow) is a popular way to trigger these fish to bite, as is casting across or upstream and stripping quickly back. During Spring and Fall, Trout cruise the near-shore transitions of lakes. Last Updated: February 10, 2020 Due to their moving-water nature, Trout are constantly roaming like sharks. Best tip-ups and line for lake trout. Retrieve at the same steady pace and your lure will run through a new section of the water column. For big fish, fish in the dark, the darker the better. They're all fun fish to catch, but if you want something really big, I would go for musky. Learn about how to find trout in still waters, what flies to use, and how to present them. Use a live bait float to target the top half of the water column. (Ice fishermen have regularly hooked trophy specimens in as shallow as four feet of water!) Im going to a lake (Battle ground lake) in Washington and I want to know how to rig up my line to catch rainbow trout. Slide on a bead and then your slip bobber. After a series of twitches, pause the crankbait to suspend it in place. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Knowing the specific feeding habits of the smaller baitfish in your region can be very helpful. A great article, I look forward to trying some of the warmer water tactics with the kids! Use an open faced spinning reel with a thin line. Behind bass, panfish, and catfish, trout fishing are the 4th most popular fishing in North America.Trout always put up a good fight, are abundant from sea to shining sea, and are pretty tasty when anglers decide to keep them. Therefore, master the bait rigs, spinners and spoons before advancing to crankbaits and plastics. If you do not see Trout breaching the surface, they are likely feeding on bait fish. Floats are also plain fun, especially for young anglers, because people can see bite happening by watching the float dance, wiggling and dive. It also adds some scent. If you want to troll deeper, add a series of split shots spaced 1 ft. apart on your line. If you are getting hits but not locking in on fish, add a small piece of bait like a salmon egg, a pinch of worm, or a minnow head. Pond, lake or impoundment, boat, land-based or kayak, this is a stocked trout staple and most likely responsible for most of my trout catches in lake and pond environments. If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Start trolling at a slow speed once you have reached the desired depth. Trolling can ease this burden by covering a lot of water at various depths in a systematic way. During the warmer months, Trout are at-least 15 ft. deep and can even get down to 160 ft. 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