How To Find Trout In Winter

If you fish for freshwater trout you are more than likely aware that the winter is probably the least productive time of the year for trout fishing, but that doesn't man that you should put your rod and reel away and not even try to catch trout in the wintertime. There is probably no place on earth that is as serene and beautiful as a trout stream or river during the winter months, so if you consider yourself a serious trout fisherman, the wintertime should not be neglected.

If you want to find trout in winter you simply need to adjust your approach and expectations a bit, and you will be good to go. As far as expectations are concerned, when you are looking to catch trout in winter, don't expect to catch trout at the rate you might during the warmer seasons, because you almost always won't. But this doesn't mean that trout can't be enticed to bite your offering during the winter, because they can as long as you follow a few simple rules.

The first of these rules is the time of day that you are fishing. During the winter the sunlight is your friend. You see, during the winter months the sunlight beating on the water will trigger insect hatches and aquatic insects are the main food source for winter trout. If you fish with worms or salmon eggs, these hatches are good for you as well because it means that the trout will be feeding and will be much more likely to bite your offering.

Since trout are cold blooded, when the water temperatures are abnormally cold they want to expend as little energy as possible to get a meal. This means that large eddies and pools are a great place to concentrate your fishing efforts when looking for winter trout. The confluence of streams and/or rivers is also a great place to find congregated trout during the winter.

No matter where you choose to fish for trout in winter, "warm snaps" where air temperatures are above normal for a day or two are also a great time to fish for winter trout. Temperature changes such as these often turn trout "on" and trigger winter feeding. And finally, no matter how you choose to fish for wintertime trout, make sure that you slow your presentation down as much as possible. The slower the better should be the monicker of every winter trout fisherman. Even though you won't be as successful as during warmer seasons, the winter months should not be neglected by the serious trout fisherman.