Spring Rainbow Trout Fishing Tips

The spring of the year means many things to many different people, but for those of us who like to fish for rainbow trout the spring means one thing; the start of trout fishing. After a long winter spent either indoors reading or watching television or standing on a frozen lake attempting to catch a fish the idea of being outside fishing for when the temperatures are less than freezing sounds like one of the best things a person can do. Yep, the spring of the year is a great time to catch some rainbow trout and below I will outline a few tips that will help you to accomplish this goal.

There are two types of water that people like to fish for rainbow trout, lakes and rivers, and below I will list some tips for each type of water so that your bases are covered. These spring rainbow trout fishing tips are based on fifty years of combined trout fishing experience and will serve you well for many years to come.

1. River Fishing - Rivers can be difficult to fish in the spring of the year due to run-off and stained water conditions, but this doesn't mean that rainbows can't be caught. Try to focus your efforts on deeper tail outs and pools and use larger and brighter colored lures the murkier the water conditions are. A key to catching rainbows in the spring whether you are a fly or spin fisherman is the speed of your retrieve. Try different speeds until you find the one that's most effective on the day you are fishing. Roe and live worms can also be effective when fishing for spring rainbow trout in rivers, but keeping your bait in the rainbow's strike zone can be challenging in high river conditions.
2. Lake Fishing - In the spring of the year, lakes are probably the best place to fish for these beautiful fish. Right after ice off rainbows are particularly hungry and like to cruise shallow water shoals or the shoreline (ten feet deep or less) where the water temperatures will be the warmest. In these area's aquatic invertebrates become active and hungry rainbows feast on them. When it comes to spring rainbow trout in lakes these area's are the place to focus your fishing efforts. Fly fishermen should try such as larva imitations, freshwater shrimp flies, and leech patterns. For spin fishermen, effective trout lures include Flatfish, Quickfish, and Mepps or Panther Martin spinners. I personally spend 75% of my spring trout fishing time fishing for rainbow trout in lakes so that I can take advantage of the trout awakening from their "winter slumber" spent stuck beneath the ice.

In any case, make sure that you get out there this spring and put these simple tips into action so that you can catch a few of the beautiful fish known as rainbow trout.