Best Trout Fishing Baits

At the time of this writing, trout are the 4th most popular game fish in North America, behind only bass, catfish, and panfish. Part of the reason for this is their ubiquity. They’re found everywhere from lakes and rivers to the smallest streams and ponds. Another part is that they’re just plain delicious.

Because they’re easy to raise in captivity, many counties and state game departments stock local waters with trout. During their time at the fish hatchery, trout get used to being fed, while their wild brethren learn to hunt. As a result, the best trout fishing baits are wildly different depending on whether you’re fishing wild trout or stocked trout.

You’ll also need to use different techniques depending on the kind of water you’re fishing. While river trout, by definition, live in a shallow river, lake trout prefer deeper depths and are routinely found in up to 70 feet of water.

Because of differences between habitats and subspecies, trout vary widely in size. Most river trout are 12 inches long or shorter. Lake trout, on the other hand, can grow up to 36 inches in length. As you can imagine, these fish are going to require significantly different bait if you’re going to reel them in successfully.

We’ve reviewed the most popular trout fishing baits available online. Whether you’re fishing small river trout or angling for a world record in a deep lake, one of these baits should fit the bill. We’ve even included a few baits that are made specifically for stocked trout.

Best Trout Fishing Baits

1. Gulp!

The Berkley Gulp! Floating Trout Worm is a 2 ½-inchworm lure. It’s ridged like an actual worm, and the plastic packaging is designed to keep it extended, instead of rolling up into a ball. This lure utilizes Gulp! scent attractant, possibly the best trout bait scent that money can buy. If the appearance of a wiggler doesn’t get them biting, the scent probably will.

This lure floats and is designed to be run across the surface. As a result, it’s best used for river fishing, or for fishing near the lakeshore in cooler weather. Put a hook through it, cast it, and reel it in slowly. You don’t want to rush with this lure; give the scent some time to spread through the water.

The downside of the Floating Trout Worm is that it’s made of rubber. This makes it easy for a trout to bite clean through it. While that’s not likely due to the small size, it’s a possibility that could lose you a lure and your chance at catching the fish. The rubber can only stand to have so many holes put through it, so expect to catch half a dozen fish with it at most.

Pros

• Impregnated with Gulp! scent attractant
• Floats
• Packaging preserves the natural shape
• Ideal for surface fishing

Cons

• Easily bitten in half
• Only good for a few catches at best

Why It’s Recommended

The Berkley Gulp! Floating Trout Worm smells and moves like an actual worm.

2. Berkley PowerBait

Berkley PowerBait Glitter Trout Fishing Dough is a big jar of doughy bait material. Pull out a small amount, roll it into a ball, hook it, and you’re good to go. This stuff includes Berkley’s PowerBait scent attractant and flavoring, so trout will smell it from down current. It also has glitter inside for added visibility.

Because you can choose your own amount of dough, you can roll it large or small for different sized trout. That said, the wildest trout will give it a pass. This is primarily made for stocked trout who are used to commercial food. You may want to wear rubber gloves when you roll it; the smell and the glitter have a way of sticking to your palms.

Pros

• As large or as small as you want it to be
• Added glitter for visibility
• Includes flavor and scent enhancers

Cons

• Only useful for stocked trout
• Leaves your hands smelly

Why It’s Recommended

Berkley PowerBait Trout Fishing Dough is ideal for catching any size of stocked trout.

3. Rapala Jointed

The Rapala Jointed Minnow Crankbait is a 7-inch monster of a lure carved from durable, buoyant balsa wood. Needless to say, this bait is too big to attract any river trout, but it’s ideally sized for catching big lake trout, as well as largemouth bass, pike, and other big lake fish. It’s also easy to cast for long distances.

This lure has a segmented design, held together with metal links. This gives it a lifelike swimming motion. With 11 available colors, you can choose one that best matches your local baitfish. It has a built-in rattle that creates noise and vibrations to attract as many bites as possible.

The nickel treble hooks are extremely tough, and controlling depth is easy. The faster you reel it in, the deeper it dives. When you let up, it will slowly float to the surface like a dead fish.

Pros

• Lifelike swimming motion
• Balsa wood body
• Internal rattle for noise and vibration
• Nickel treble hooks
• Available in 11 colors

Cons

• Too big for river trout

Why It’s Recommended

If you’re trying to catch a trophy-sized lake trout, the Rapala Jointed Minnow Crankbait is the best trout bait for the job.

4. Rebel Lures

The Rebel Lures is designed to look like a baby crawdad. While a lot of lures look vaguely like what they’re supposed to imitate, Rebel Lures did a great job of painting this one to look exactly like the real deal. The two nickel treble hooks are corrosion resistant, and the clear coat is tough enough not to get nicked on the first bite.

This lure is 2 ½ inches long, and is designed to be used at depths of 5 to 7 feet. For this reason, it’s ideal for using in rivers, or along the shores of a lake. The easiest way is to cast it and reel it in slowly, almost lazily. Depending on the current, you’ll have to vary your speed in order to keep it at a consistent depth.

Because of its small size, the Wee Crawfish will get a lot of bites from smaller fish. Expect to accidentally pull in a few sunnies with this lure. That said, it’s also useful for bass and panfish, so you’re almost guaranteed to catch something.

Pros

• Realistic baby crawfish lure
• Two nickel treble hooks
• Also great for bass and panfish
• Available in 8 colors
• Affordable

Cons

• Catches many small fish by accident

Why It’s Recommended

The Rebel Lures Wee Crawfish is ideal for dragging the bottom of rivers and shallow lake beds.

5. Lindy Fuzz-E

The Lindy Fuzz-E Grub Jig is a soft plastic, 2-inch jig that’s designed to look like a real grub. It has 2-color painted eyes for added realism, and the flexible Marabou tail does a good job of concealing the hook. While a stronger nickel hook would be nice, steel is more than strong enough to bring in any trout.

This jig comes in a 2-pack and is very reasonably priced. It’s best used with a bobber, so you can control the depth. Let it float for a bit, then reel it in quickly, and repeat. If you’re not getting any bites, change up your depth. The really nice thing about using a jig for trout fishing is the fact that you can do exactly that, while crankbaits are limited to a narrow depth range.

Pros

• Painted eyes
• Realistic grub lure
• Flexible Marabou tail
• Useable at almost any depth
• Comes in a 2-pack

Cons

• Steel hook (not nickel)

Why It’s Recommended

The Lindy Fuzz-E Grub Jig is one of the all-around best trout fishing baits on the market. You can use it in virtually any scenario.

6. Smithwick

The Smithwick Rattlin’ Rogue is a 4-inch crankbait that’s available in ten different color patterns. With this much variety, you’re virtually guaranteed to be able to find one that matches a local baitfish. This lure has three nickel treble hooks, so no matter what part of it the trout bites, it’s going to get snagged.

At 4-inches, this crankbait is too small for most river trout, although a large rainbow trout will still give it a bite. Still, it’s primarily designed for larger lake trout, where it will get a larger proportion of bites. It’s a shallow swimmer, only diving about 24 inches, so use it during cooler weather for the best results.

The Rattlin’ Rogue has an internal rattle that makes noise and sends vibrations through the water to attract more fish. It’s designed to move like a real baitfish and twitches erratically as you reel it in. It’s very affordable and is one of the best trout lures around for shallow water lake fishing.

Pros

• Corrosion-resistant nickel treble hooks
• Erratic swimming action
• Internal rattle for noise and vibration
• Available in 10 colors
• Affordable

Cons

• Too big for most river trout
• Only dives to about 24”

Why It’s Recommended

The Smithwick Rattlin’ Rogue Crankbait is ideal for catching big trout in shallow water.

7. Strike King Bitsy

The Strike King Bitsy Minnow is a small crankbait that dives to 5 feet. It’s very small – only 1 ¼ inch long and weighing only an eighth of an ounce – so any trout that’s large enough to catch is going to be curious. The nickel treble hooks will ensure that your fish stays on the line.

This lure is designed to swim like a wounded minnow and will jerk from side to side as you reel it in. In over 13 different patterns, it’s sure to match one of your local baitfish. It’s also just the right size and action to attract smallmouth bass. Even if the trout aren’t biting, you might catch yourself a smallie instead!

There are some durability issues with the Bitsy Minnow. The bill is a bit flimsy and is liable to break if it gets hit by a bigger fish like a largemouth or a salmon. That said, it’s very inexpensive, so there’s no downside here. Give it to your son, daughter, nephew, or niece, and teach them to fish on the cheap.

Pros

• Erratic swimming action
• Also good for smallmouth bass
• Nickel treble hooks
• Small size
• Available in 13 colors
• Inexpensive

Cons

• Some durability issues

Why It’s Recommended

The Strike King Bitsy Minnow is perfect for beginners who are just learning the fine art of trout fishing.

8. Rapala Countdown

The Rapala Countdown is crafted from hand-painted balsa wood and weighted for better sinking. This is what gives it its name; since it sinks at one foot per second, you can cast it, then count down as it sinks to the depth you want. Then reel it in slowly, and let the lure do the rest of the work.

This lure is 2 inches long, just the right size to get a bite from any river trout while still being attractive to bigger lake trout. The 2 treble hooks are engineered from VMC black nickel, making them strong enough to stand up to abuse even if you accidentally hook a bass.

The Countdown is available in 14 different colors and has a realistic swimming action that mimics the movements of a wounded fish. The only downside is the extra-long bill, which is prone to breaking after repeated stresses.

Pros

• Hand-painted balsa wood body
• Steady sink rate
• 2 nickel treble hooks
• Available in 14 colors
• Swims like a wounded fish

Cons

• Long bill is easy to break

Why It’s Recommended

The Rapala Countdown crankbait is well-sized and well-designed for catching any river trout imaginable.

9. Blue Fox

The Blue Fox Vibrax is a spinner lure that’s designed to run – where else? – in shallow water. It swims at 2 feet, which is perfect for shallow rivers or near the shore of a lake. It measures 2 inches in overall length, which is the perfect size for trout fishing. The nickel treble hook is tough and durable.

This lure has a die-cast, chrome-plated body that strikes the stainless steel ball as it wiggles back and forth. This creates vibrations, which will attract more fish than a static lure. It also has 3D eyes which are extremely realistic.

Our only complaint is the tail. It does a good enough job of covering the hook, but it’s extremely stiff and doesn’t wiggle at all. This reduces the realism of an otherwise excellent lure. Still, it’s inexpensive, so it’s definitely worth adding to your kit.

Pros

• Chrome plated, die-cast body
• Vibrates on the retrieve
• Well sized for river or lake trout
• 3D eyes
• Nickel treble hook
• Inexpensive

Cons

• Stiff tail

Why It’s Recommended

The Blue Fox Vibrax Shallow Spinner is an ideal lure for fishing in rivers or lakes at shallow depths.

10. Mepp’s Comet Mino

The Mepps Comet Mino Shad is the best of both worlds. The front portion of the lure is a gold spinner bell, which knocks against the rest of the assembly to create vibrations. The back portion is a hand-painted, soft plastic baby shad lure with a treble hook sticking out of the back. The hooks are steel rather than nickel but are still tough enough to handle anything a trout throws at them.

This lure swims realistically, twitching from side to side like a distressed baitfish. It’s a mid-depth lure, which means it’s designed to run between 5 and 8 feet of depth. This is good for many rivers, as well as for fishing from a lakeshore.

The Comet Mino Shad is inexpensive, despite the fact that it’s hand painted and has 3D eyes. It may be the best value for your money that we’ve seen.

Pros

• Hand painted
• Combines a spinner with the realism of a plastic lure
• Realistic swimming action
• Spinner creates vibrations during the retrieve
• Inexpensive

Cons

• Steel hook

Why It’s Recommended

The Mepps Comet Mino Shad gives you all the vibration of a spinner with all the realism of a hand-painted lure.

11. Panther Martin Classic

The Panther Martin Classic Bucktail is a small spinner that’s designed to create lots of turbulence and flash without being too large. At only 0.32 ounces, it’s certainly small enough for river trout, while still tough enough to handle a bigger lake trout. The treble hook is steel, not nickel, but it’s heavy-duty enough to hold up to some abuse.

The shaft passes through a hole in the spoon-shaped blade, so the entire lure spins as you reel it in. Not only does the dressed hook increase these vibrations, it’s also colorful enough to act as a visual attractor as well. The main body is shaped like a grub, and had bright yellow polka-dots, increasing its visual appeal.

This bait can be cast from the shore of a river or lake, as well as being a serviceable trolling lure.

Pros

• Plenty of spinning action
• Brightly colored body
• Dressed hook for added visual appeal
• Very inexpensive

Cons

• Steel hook

Why It’s Recommended

If you’re looking for a cheap spinner that gets the job done in rivers and lakes alike, the Panther Martin Classic Bucktail will fill the bill nicely.

12. Gulp! Trout Nuggets

Stocked trout are a little different than their wild cousins. While they can – and do – eat baitfish purely on instinct, they’ve also become used to being fed in captivity. Berkley Gulp! Trout Nuggets are designed to simulate this kind of food. The plus? Stocked fish will hit it as soon as they see it. The minus? Wild fish will swim right past it.

These nuggets are available in six colors. Unlike with lures that are designed to simulate baitfish, this is purely for visibility purposes. Choose one that will stand out the most in the area you’ll be fishing in. The main attraction is the Gulp! scent attractant. Let these baits chill for a minute in the same spot, and the scent will spread with the current, drawing fish in like moths to a porch light.

Pros

• Same taste and texture as commercial trout food
• Impregnated with Gulp! scent attractant
• Available in 6 colors

Cons

• Only useful for catching stocked trout

Why It’s Recommended

If you’re fishing for stocked trout, why not use the food they’re already used to? Berkley Gulp! Trout Nuggets are exactly that.

13. Acme Kastmaster

The Acme Kastmaster is a simple blade lure without a lot of frills. The body is an irregular piece of steel that’s roughly fish-shaped, with a tough treble hook on the rear end. This lure is available in nine different sizes, ranging from 1/32 of an ounce all the way up to a full ounce. For trout, anything from the 1/8-ounce to 1/2-ounce sizes will do the job nicely.

There are 37 different colors available to match a variety of baitfish, as well as several metallic designs that give you lots of variety. This lure can either be cast and retrieved as a light spinner, or you can use it as a jig at deeper depths. Make sure to buy a tough split ring before you use it – many colors and sizes don’t include one for rigging.

Pros

• Classic design
• Can be used for spinning or jigging
• Sharp treble hook
• Available in 37 colors
• Available in 9 sizes

Cons

• Does not include a split ring for rigging

Why It’s Recommended

The Acme Kastmaster is a versatile lure that comes in handy in a wide variety of situations.

14. Atlas Mike’s Night Crawler

Trout absolutely love to eat salmon eggs, and can often be found on the bottom of a riverbed or shallow lake bed searching for clutches after salmon have spawned. Atlas Mike’s Salmon Eggs are the real deal, and they’re packed in nightcrawler oil, which adds even more scent to make these eggs irresistible.

These eggs are shipped in a sealed jar for freshness, but they have a limited shelf life once you’ve opened them. They’re also messy and smelly, but that’s just the nature of real eggs. At the end of the day, they work, and the jar is inexpensive.

Pros

• Real salmon eggs
• Packed in nightcrawler oil for added scent
• Irresistible taste and smell
• Inexpensive

Cons

• Messy and stinky
• Limited shelf life

Why It’s Recommended

Atlas Mike’s Salmon Eggs are the real thing, and trout love them.

15. Tbuymax

The Tbuymax 10-Piece Fishing Lure Set is a complete set of 10 similar spinner lures. These aren’t high-end lures, but they’re all brightly colored, and the blades give you plenty of flash and turbulence. We wouldn’t recommend these lures for experienced anglers. They’re too light to cast very far and are cheaply made.

So why are they on our list?

Simply put, these are great little lures for beginners. Little kids can cast them just fine, and it’s no big deal if you lose one, two, or three of them on an outing. The hooks are the best-made part, which means they won’t disappoint your budding angler by letting their first catch off the hook.

Pros

• Flashy spinner blades and nickel treble hooks
• Variety of body shapes and colors
• Comes in a 10-pack
• Very inexpensive

Cons

• Don’t cast very far
• Cheap construction

Why It’s Recommended

The Tbuymax 10-Piece Fishing Lure Set is perfect for teaching beginners how to fish without breaking the bank.

What to Look For in Trout Fishing Bait

As you’ve probably guessed from the wide variety of baits we’ve reviewed, there’s a lot that goes into choosing the right trout bait. Here are some trout fishing tips, and a quick guide to choosing the best trout bait for your situation.

Basic Tips For Beginners

As we briefly mentioned earlier, there are different types of trout. While there are actually dozens of species, most anglers divide trout up into two categories: river trout and lake trout. Let’s look at each of them.

Tips For Fishing River Trout

River trout include probably the most iconic trout: the rainbow trout. These species grow to around 12 inches in length and favor calm water. If you’re looking for a good trout fishing spot, stay away from rapids. Instead, look for somewhere with a smooth surface. Trout prefer cooler temperatures, so overhanging trees, piers, and other sources of shade are a good place to cast your line.

If you’re using a crankbait or spinner, cast it upstream of your target, let it sink until it hits your target depth, and reel it in slowly as the current pushes it downstream. In very shallow water, try using a jig or a worm right near the surface. You can also use crawdad or salmon egg lures for reaching fish at the bottom.

The rule of thumb here is to try a few different lures at different depths. Trout tend to stay at the depth where they’re most comfortable with the water temperature. If your lure is two feet over their head or two feet beneath them, you’re going to spend a long day catching nothing. Once you get a hit, keep using the same lure at that depth. Chances are, you’ll get a few more hits.

Tips For Fishing Lake Trout

Lake trout will tend to stay near shore during cool weather since this is the warmest part of the lake. At these depths, a crankbait or spinner is a good option. Much like with river fishing, vary your depth and lure until you find a combination that starts getting hits.

During the summer and early fall, trout migrate to deeper water. In deep lakes, they’ll go as far down as 70 feet to find a temperature sweet spot, although depths of 35 feet are more typical. Blade baits and jigs are your best bet here. Use a bobber to help yourself maintain consistency, and move it up and down your fishing line until you find where the fish are hiding.

Trout Fishing Licenses and Regulations

Most states will require you to get a fishing license in order to fish for trout. Costs for these licenses vary by state, but they usually cost less than a trip to the movies. Most states also make exceptions to this rule. Common exceptions include fishing in private ponds, fishing during designated times and dates, fish are taken during a fishing class, and fish taken by Native Americans on their own reservations.

Most states set a limit on the size of trout that can be caught. Normally, anything under six inches in length will need to be put back in the water.

As with most hunting and fishing licenses, rules vary by state, so don’t take our word for it. Check your state laws to make sure you’re in compliance.

One thing you’ll want to be careful about is trout fishing in rivers where salmon spawn. Salmon generally require a marine fishing license, even if you catch them in freshwater. If you accidentally catch one, you’ll need to put it back. Again, this varies by state, so check your local laws just in case.

What do Trout Like to Eat the Most?

Trout diet depends largely – pun intended – on their size. Young trout prefer to eat invertebrates like mayflies, grubs, flies, dragonflies, and mollusks.

When they grow to adulthood, they begin to eat primarily other fish. And wow, can they eat. They’ve been known to take down fish up to half of their own size. Trout are able to do this thanks to their razor-sharp teeth. Unlike bass, which will try to swallow their prey whole, trout will simply bite a smaller fish in half.

That’s not to say that adult trout won’t eat smaller prey when presented with the opportunity. They’ll eat shrimp, mealworms, insects, and even eel if it’s available. Like many freshwater fish, trout also love to eat crawfish. Although only the largest adult lake trout can eat a full-grown crawdad, even smaller river trout will eat juvenile crawfish in the springtime.

In areas where they coexist with salmon, trout will feast on their eggs when they find a spawning bed. If we had to pick a “favorite food” for trout, this would be it.

There’s a significant exception to these rules. Trout that have been bred in captivity are used to eating pellets or other prepackaged food. For these trout, no amount of life in the wild will eliminate their taste for “fish chow”.

What is the Best Bait For Trout Fishing?

The best trout fishing bait is going to depend on the size and location of your target fish. For convenience, let’s look at lake trout and river trout separately.

Best Bait For Lake Trout

Since lake trout are relatively large, you can use a lot of the same lures you’d use for other big lake fish like bass. However, you’ll want to consider the time of year when you’re doing your fishing. Remember how we talked about trout swimming at different depths depending on the water temperature?

For example, a crankbait can get you lots of hits in the spring and the late fall, since the fish will tend to be closer to shore. On the other hand, you’ll need to go deeper in the summer and early fall. When you’re fishing at 35 to 70 feet of depth, a blade bait or jig is going to give you the best results.

Best Bait For River Trout

River trout are a whole different ballgame. While some river trout will dive to great depths when they’re able to – for example, in the St. Lawrence and Mississippi Rivers – most American rivers don’t let them dive very deep at all. Small crankbait is your best bet here. Anything larger than about 4 inches will limit your catch to the very largest fish.

Spinners and jigs are also perfectly viable here, provided you’re casting shallow. However, your best river bait is going to be salmon eggs. Real salmon eggs can be used anywhere, due to their irresistible scent. Artificial eggs should only be used if you know there are salmon spawns in the area. If salmon isn’t native to your river and don’t smell anything, they won’t know what they’re looking at.

A Note on Stocked Salmon

If you’re fishing for stocked salmon, they’ll be used to premade food. Why not use that to your advantage? Dough and pellets are relatively affordable, and stocked fish will hit them hard and fast. On the other hand, wild fish are more likely to swim past without so much as a nibble.

What Hooks and Tackle do You Use For Trout Fishing?

Your hook and tackle are going to depend on the size of the trout you’re fishing. Are you beginning to see a pattern here?

A small, #12 hook will be more than enough to bring in a river trout, while you should upgrade to a #8 hook if you’re lake fishing. For treble hooks, you can go as small as #16, since the multiplicity of barbs will make up for the smaller hooks.

As far as tackle goes, you’ll always want to use a wire lead. A trout’s sharp teeth can snip your fishing line clean off, leaving the fish with a hook in its mouth, and leaving you empty-handed.

Where you affix your bobber will depend on the water depth and temperature. For river fishing or cold-weather lake fishing, a shallow set-up is best. If you’re lake fishing in the summer, give yourself between 35 and 70 feet. Unless you have lots of experience with that particular lake, you’ll need to do some experimenting to see what depth the fish are biting at.

Bottom Line

As you can see, trout fishing can be a wildly different experience depending on where and when you’re fishing. You can spend a day at the edge of a river lazily casting a line, or get out on a boat for some deep water fishing. That’s probably why trout fishing such a popular pastime!

Before you make a purchase, you’ll want to know what kind of water you’re fishing in. For shallower depths, you’ll want a crankbait or spinner. For deeper water, a jig or spinner is the better choice. You’ll also want to have some crawfish or salmon egg lures in your kit to deal with bottom-feeding fish.

Finally, you’ll need to know if the waterway you’re fishing in is stocked. If it is, you can consider foregoing traditional lures and going with the easy route: dough or pellet bait that’s designed specifically to appeal to hatchery-raised fish.

That said, you’ll be foregoing the opportunity to catch any truly wild specimens if you use these baits. We certainly believe that most anglers would do well to have two or three of these lures in their tackle box.

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