With The Weather Warming, The Trout Fishing Should Start Heating Up

As the spring descends on us all like an old friend that you haven't seen for a while approaching you from the other side of the grocery store, my thoughts are turning to one thing.  Fishing for trout.  I know from experience that the early spring can be a great time to catch some nice trout, but I also know that during the early spring timing is everything, especially when you are talking about river fishing for trout.

You see the trout have been lethargic all winter due to the freezing cold water temperatures and during the spring, as the water temperatures rise, the trout begin to feed quite heavily.  The problem is that rising temperatures also mean rising water levels due to snow melt, and rivers can become high and muddy quite fast.  And high and muddy water make river fishing for trout difficult to impossible, which is where timing comes in.

With any luck you live within close proximity to the rivers you like to fish, so paying attention to the water levels won't be difficult.  Here in Northwest Montana, the rivers are usually very fish-able from late March to late April and even into May sometimes.  Although the exact weeks vary from year to year. I have found that the biggest thing to keep in mind are the air temperatures at night.  I have found that once the air temperatures stop dropping below freezing during the night, the run off will really speed up, which means the rivers will become too high to fish much faster.  When the air temperatures stay below freezing at night, the snow in the mountains will melt much less quickly, thus that water won't be flowing into the rivers quite as fast. 

This is especially true if you are into drift fishing, as I am.  Drift fishing for trout is my favorite activity and the early spring can be quite productive, as long as you get the timing right.  Just remember a few simple tips when it comes to early season trout fishing;  the clearer the water the better, afternoons and evening are often some of the most productive times of the day during the early spring and watch those temperatures at night.  Once they get above freezing, it won't be long until the rivers will become much less suitable to fishing.  

Beating The Run Off - Catching Early Season Rainbow Trout

At this time of the year, when the trout fishing season is just starting in most areas, if you like to fish for rainbow trout in the flowing water of a river or stream like I do you need to get out on the water sooner, rather than later. What I mean by this is that if you can fish your favorite trout river early in the season, you can beat the run off and normally enjoy some pretty productive trout fishing.

Over the years I have learned that after a long winter of very little fishing pressure and very cold water temperatures, as spring temperatures rise, thus raising the water temperature of the rivers and streams, the rainbow trout that reside in said river will become very active. What this means for ultralight spin fishermen is that there are a couple of weeks of really good trout fishing early in the season, as long as you beat the run off. Once the run off from the mountains turns rivers and streams into "chocolate milk",  catching rainbow trout becomes much more difficult.

So the goal for river and stream fishermen, early in the season needs to be to beat the run off. There is normally a one to three week window where this is possible. In Northwest Montana we are in the throws of this sweet spot right now.The rivers are becoming more and more stained by the day, but the trout are still feeding quite heavily.  In two weeks it will be over, but for now catching early season rainbow trout is as productive as is gets. 

Drift fishing is my technique of choice, whether the bait is a live worm or a Rooster Tail spinner, anytime that I am trout fishing a river and in the early spring.  This technique is a great way of beating the run off and an excellent way to catch some early season rainbow trout.  At this time of the year, don't expect to be fishing in clear water, and remember that stained water isn't a problem.  You should still catch trout, right up until the point that the water starts to look like chocolate milk.  At that point the run off has taken the river and catching trout will become very difficult.