Trout fishing is enjoyed by Pacific Northwesterners in every corner of our region, and I have put together a list of my personal favorite best trout fishing lures for you. Some of these are available everywhere, some of these are up and comers, but all of them are effective trout lures. Although I live and fish mainly in Washington State, I have travelled to Oregon, Idaho, Northern California and Montana in search of great trout fishing, and it’s helped me put together this Greatest Hits of Trout Fishing.
Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and California Trout Fishing
The lakes and rivers of the Pacific Northwest provide us with great trout fishing options. You may be headed to a suburban lake in Washington State that has been recently stocked with Rainbow Trout. Maybe you want to head to Central Oregon’s Lakes and fish for a trophy Brown Trout. Idaho and Montana have some of the most beautiful lakes with world-class trout fishing. And don’t forget about California’s epic river and lake trout fishing. While each region has it’s own unique lures and favorite riggings, there are a number of lures that you can’t go wrong with, regardless of where in our beautiful region you plan on trout fishing.
Casting Lures for Trout Fishing
I have spent many hours casting from shore for trout, and have a few favorite trout fishing lures to recommend. Being able to cast a distance is an important factor in shore fishing success. You can accomplish a longer distance cast by using lighter and thinner line, a heavier lure, or both. I prefer 4 pound to 6 pound line for most scenarios where I am trout fishing from shore.
The challenge is finding that perfect lure for the spot you are fishing. You can go with the heaviest lure in your tackle box, but then again it may be too large for the trout in the lake, or it may snag bottom once you are reeling it in, near the shore. The struggle is real! But have no fear, start out with any of these trout lures in the recommended sizes and you will be well on your way!
Also, keep in mind that any of these would make a fine lure to fish from a boat, whether trolling or casting.
Kastmaster Spoon
The Acme Kastmaster Spoon is one of my go-to trout lures for rivers and lakes. Ever since that childhood trip to my Uncle’s Montana ranch, where we fished Kastmaster’s (among others) on the ranch’s lake, I have always had a good time fishing these. There is just something about the action and finish that is a major trout attractor. My favorite sizes are 1/8 and 1/4 ounce. However, they offer some smaller sizes that are more appropriate for alpine lake fishing where the forage is usually smaller.
Roostertail Spinner
The Roostertail Spinner is one of the most universal trout lures in my tackle box. I have caught some really nice trout out of my local streams, lowland lakes as well as up in the high-country. Stick with the 1/16th to 1/8th ounce sizes. I really like a black with silver blade, the rainbow trout, or the frog patterns, but these come in too many fishy colors to mention!
Vibrax Spinner
While the Vibrax Spinner is best known for catching larger fish, it also works really well for trout, in it’s smallest sizes. I really do prefer the Size 0, 1 and 2 Vibrax Spinners for trout fishing, but a Size 3 might just catch you your personal best! Blue Fox Vibrax Spinner – View on Amazon
Mepps Spinner
Mepps Aglia Spinners have been available for a long time, and generations of anglers have caught trout on them across the West. In my home state of Washington, I always carry a few Size 1 or 2 Aglias when I’m backpacking to an alpine lake in the Cascades or Olympics.
Panther Martin Spinner
The Panther Martin Spinner very well may be the most recognizable trout lure ever made! Their simple inline spinner design is a very effective trout catcher. I love fishing Panther Martin Spinners for trout!Panther Martin Spinners – View on Amazon
Trolling Lures for Trout Fishing
The Pacific Northwest has such a wide range of fishable bodies of water where you can catch trout, often times a boat can help you be more effective. If you are fishing from a boat, all these lures are on the top of my list. Most of them have a great action because they are made of lightweight materials, and although they are not designed to be the best casting lures, if you troll them they can give you a rewarding day of trout fishing.
Wedding Ring Lure
When I was a kid, I went to Oregon with a friend’s family and we ended up at their cabin on the local lake’s trout opener. This was the first time I saw the awesome fish catching ability of the Wedding Ring. We couldn’t keep the Rainbow Trout off the standard red-bodied and silver-blade Wedding Ring. Over the years I have collected dozens of Wedding Ring colors and think it makes it to the top of my trout fishing lures if you are trolling. They work great bare, but if you can tip the hook with a kernel of corn you have a Kokanee/Trout killer, tip it with a worm and the Rainbows and Cutthroat won’t be able to resist! You can cut the hook off and replace it with a small fly if you want to change it up.Mack’s Wedding Ring – View on Amazon
Needlefish Spoon
Luhr Jensen’s Needlefish is a great trolling lure for trout. This thin metal spoon fishes well if you troll it behind a dodger or bare. I usually use these in larger lakes off a downrigger, but there is no reason they wouldn’t be effective on a small lake stocked recently with Rainbow Trout.
God’s Tooth Spoon
The God’s Tooth Spoon is the newest addition to my trout fishing tackle box. They have gained recent fame on the lakes surrounding my home near Seattle, and sure are effective! I troll these for Cutthroat Trout in Lake Washington, and Kokanee in other Seattle area lakes with pretty good results. As you can see, I prefer the 50/50 Silver/Gold and the Orange, but there are a number of other good looking colors I am eager to try out.Elgin God’s Tooth Spoon – View on Amazon
Dick Nite Spoon
This small lure has gained fame in Washington and Oregon as a great lure for Trout, Kokanee and even Salmon! The Dick Nite Spoon in Size 1 or 2 will work great in any trout boat fishing situation. Dick Nite Spoon – View on Bass Pro
Flicker Shad
I discovered Berkley’s Flicker Shad trout lures when I was looking for advice on fishing some of Washington’s larger lake systems. A friend suggested this one, because it does a great job of imitating salmon smolt and other forage fish, which Cutthroat and Rainbow Trout will gobble up. It immediately became one of my regular deployments whenever I was fishing on a lake with any salmon returns. Lots of great colors, but my favorite is the Silver/Black Back.Berkley Flicker Shad – View on Amazon
Hot Shot
Luhr Jensen Hot Shot’s are one of the original trout fishing plugs. Some of my very earliest fishing memories were of trolling around on the lake for trout with these. To this day, I always keep a few Hot Shot in Size 50, 60, 70 ready to go! They are best trolled slowly, and they have a very effective wiggle and dive that triggers an aggressive bite. Luhr Jensen Hot Shot – View on Amazon
See also The Dark Side… Night Fishing for Big Brown Trout Let’s Face It, in Most Cases Those Big Brown Trout in Your Local River Aren’t Falling Victim To a Size 10 Woolly Bugger or a 16 Prince NymphTo be honest, you’re probably unaware of what lies beneath the surface tucked against a log jam or wedged under that giant boulder mid-river that you’ve fished countless times. In most cases in my night fishing experience, there’s almost always a much bigger fish that shows itself at night than any other previous fish you’ve might have seen during the daylight hours.The majority of the largest trout I have ever seen were at night in less than 24” of water. Some of the most dominant predators on the planet feed at night… and brown trout are no different.Before we go further into tips, tactics, and tackle, I’d like to preface that night fishing obviously has its additional challenges and even dangers. Safety is by far the utmost importance when fishing, especially night fishing. Understanding every inch of the river you plan on night fishing is extremely important. Knowing every boulder, drop off/ledge, and casting obstruction can prevent you from going for an unexpected swim, broken rod, or even a hook to the face (speaking from experience). Always wear eye protection (clear or light illuminating lenses), two headlamps (you’ll drop one in the river), and try to take a fishing buddy with you just for peace of mind.Where I live in Pennsylvania as well as many places in the country, night fishing is more of a seasonal approach. By all means, you can night fish every month of the year and find some success, but there is definitely a “prime time” to be on the water. Typically, I personally begin my night fishing season during the “post hatch” season. After the majority of the caddis and mayflies hatch in May, and the water becomes skinny and shallow, this is when I find brown trout to be starved and more eager to eat larger meals.This Will Change the Way You Fly Fish Pressured WatersNight fishing in May, June, and even early July definitely produces plenty of fish, but not THE fish we’re all looking for. Once August rolls around and water temps begin to drop into safe fishing temperatures, that’s when you need to fish until the wheels fall off. Sleep becomes a thing of the past and coffee becomes your best friend. Your best shot at consistently catching brown trout 20”+ and even 24”+ is between August and October.The worst conditions for daytime fishing are your best conditions for night fishing. Low and clear water is by far the best water conditions to target big brown trout at night. Dominant brown trout adapt and hide so well during these conditions during the daytime which make them almost impossible to target. Once the sun begins to fade, the fish will migrate out of structure and move into feeding areas for the night.Swing It! Spey Streamer Fly Fishing TipsA mistake anglers often make is fishing the same deep hole they typically would fish during daytime. Brown trout will move into shallow sandy tail-outs, or push into the head of a run where the water might be less than 24” in depth. The inside seam of a deep pool also offers a great ambush point for a large brown trout.Tackle used when night fishing is very similar to fishing big streamers. Any 6wt, 7wt, or 8wt will suffice. On larger rivers, a trout spey or switch rod works great for swinging streamers or skating rodent patterns across the surface. A floating fly line is the most versatile line for night fishing in my opinion. You can fish surface flies, “pushers” that sit barely subsurface in the surface film, or even a streamer if you want to swing a baitfish into deeper pools. Your leader is extremely important when night fishing as well. Typically when fishing a surface style fly, keeping the leader short and stout is critical. Two feet of 20lb tippet to a blood knot, followed by three feet of 15lb tippet is typical when fishing surface style flies. Your leader needs to be strong and abrasion resistant. It’s not “if," it’s “when” you toss your flies into a tree.I have personally witnessed brown trout eat mice, rats, bats, baby birds, and even water snakes. A large brown trout over 24” is not much different than a musky. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box when night fishing. The biggest brown trout I’ve hooked at night was on a 6” rat pattern. The most important aspect of fly design for night fishing in my opinion is how much vibration, water displacement, or surface disruption you can create while not sacrificing your hook gap. Thin, but wide profile deer or foam body mouse flies work great. If using streamers, a pusher style fly that rides high in the water column seems to be extremely effective as well.Tied with a Surface Seducer Double Barrel Popper & Slider Body.How to fish you fly is totally dependent upon on moon phases, cloud coverage/ambient light, and speed of the current. A mouse is not going to swim upstream against the current.The two most effective retrieves are: Down and across just like you would swing a wet fly Casting upstream and working the fly back to youIf the current is a classic soft dry fly drift, I almost always work the fly down and across. Your rod tip height as well as your casting angle will dictate the speed of the fly. While fishing short and soft inside seams of a faster run/pool, orienting yourself downstream or below the fish will enable you to cast directly upstream and work the fly right to your feet. This is also a fantastic approach to work upstream along parallel with a heavily wooded bank. I have seen countless times where a fish will strike multiple times with this approach and ultimately eat the fly at your feet after missing 3-4 times in one drift.Be sure to always start your casts short, most fish are sitting right at your feet!At the end of a long night as the sun begins to rise; rest assure, that legendary fish most likely got away. More times than not, they have to make a series of mistakes in order for you to land them. Whether it ran you into a long jam, bent a 1/0 hook, or it came off just short of the net; the giants of the dark will keep you coming back for more. Tip your cap, swig some spiked coffee and keep after it. More often than not, they’ll leave you with a memory rather than a photo that you will never forget. Some nights, all you’ll have left is a fly patch full of chewed up foam. Want More Content Like This? Join the Flymen Mailing List at the bottom of the page!About Stephen Nymick:Stephen Nymick is owner of Stephen Nymick Fly Fishing LLC, and a Guide for Steelhead Alley Outfitters. He began fly fishing at just 5 years old on his local streams in Western Pennsylvania. The day his father took him out to get his first fly rod, he also came home with his first fly tying kit. Stephen has been fly fishing exclusively for over 20 years and has guided for 7 years. Throwing big streamers or mice for brown trout and swinging flies for Steelhead are Stephen’s true passions. You can follow Stephen on Instagram @stephennymick. For further questions, email Stephen at paflyco@gmail.com. To book a trip, contact Steelhead Alley Outfitters at 888-453-5899. Written by Stephen Nymick Filed under brown trout, fly fishing, fly fishing tips, fly tying, freshwater Tweet Comments on this post (8) Feb 26, 2024 Hi Sir/ We are manufacturers of fishing flies based in Uganda. We have qualified tiers who can maintain the best quality that a customer needs, we strictly deliver on time and use the right size of hooks.We tie all types of flies according to the customers orders.We are now looking for someone whom we can partner with for progress in both parties. Thank you as we wait to hear from you soon. under management by Fred— Fred luyali Apr 21, 2022 Hi,Re night time fishing for trout article.Thank you for a thoroughly informative article.Could you let me know what the chewed up flies in the picture are called and do you have any tying instructions you could send me?Kind RegardsDerek Coles— Derek Coles Oct 31, 2021 Dear Sir, I am Betty, a professional custom fly tier and the owner of a tube fishing flies fly group in business. With an experience of 20 years in fly tying in fulling mill company, I do produce all categories of fly patterns etc,Nymphs,Dries,Wets,Salmons,Saltwater, Pikes,Terrestrials etc. The quality of flies lies within my finger tips. I am always impressed with each and every fly that comes out of my vice.I have 20 good fly tiers who have experience in producing quality flies for the fly market globally. I will be glad if you would test my flies sample to match the quality of the same. I can assure you that with my flies you will emerge the best in the flies industry. If you are ready to foster flies business with me, I will be supplying you with a lower price per 1 dozen.I am eagerly waiting to hear from you. Best regards— Fred luyali May 04, 2021 This piece really got me thinking about my terminal obsession with netting three footers out of the Colorado where I live. I’ve actually landed a couple of those ghost browns @ zero-dark-thirty, and broke off even more. Your piece has me plotting already for some unconventional post-hatch, stealthy Ninja type spey missions.— Matthew Fullenwider Mar 18, 2021 I’m gonna be that guy and say that my biggest after dark brown came at 11:55 pm in mid-March…but overall I agree that late summer is the best time to raise fish in the late hours of the night. I would also add that a full moon is bad for mousing but great for streamers.— Patrick Houlton Mar 17, 2021 Nice article. Exactly what areas do you guide ?— John Kersting Mar 17, 2021 Great article, very insightful.— David Mar 17, 2021 Excellent article. I just started drifting my big tailwater after sunset last September to get the feel of casting streamers and catching fish after dark in big flows. Managing the boat and maintaining situational awareness is not for the faint of heart. One thing I wish the article had mentioned was technical specs on headlamps for night fishing— Drew Gilchrist Leave a comment Name Email Message
Mag Lip 2.0 and 2.5
Yakima Bait Company’s newest trout fishing product is the Mag Lip Plug in the 2.0 and 2.5 sizes. This local Washington State company offers a really good assortment of color patterns for trout fishing. I prefer the Metallic Perch, Orange, Craw, Black Glitter and the Frog as my best colors. Make sure you have a few of these if you plan on fishing for trout out of a boat. Yakima Baits Mag Lip – View on Bass Pro
Original Rapala
The Rapala Original floaters are a great trout trolling lure. Attach a small plug snap to the end of your leader to give it a little more action. I prefer to flat-line troll these in smaller lakes. If I am fishing a larger body of water I may troll these off my downrigger as well. My preferred sizes are Size 3, 5 and 7 for starters. Rapala Original Floating – View on Amazon
Jointed Rapala
While the Original Rapala is one of the most widely recognized fishing lures in the entire world, the Jointed Rapala also gains a spot of my best trout fishing lures list. I think I might even prefer it to the Original. The joint gives this lure a unique action unmatched by any other lure on the list. For lakes from Idaho to Oregon and everywhere else in the Pacific Northwest, I’d recommend you start with a Size J-05 or J-07 and go larger if you are hunting for trophy trout.Rapala Jointed – View on Amazon
Trout Fishing Success!
Wherever you go trout fishing, there are bound to be locals. And some of these locals happed to be phenomenal anglers. Those proud few are usually most successful due to the time and effort they put in. If you go to a lake for the first time, it may seem a little challenging to find that perfect technique, lure set-up, troll speed, or location. But just remember that each day is a success, regardless of how many trout you have on the scoreboard. Every day on the water is a blessing, and also provides us with the benefit of another day of experience. If you aren’t already, you will be a great fisher with a little time invested. Good luck out there!
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