Best Weather for Trout Fishing: Tips for a Greater Catch

One of the most important things to consider when trying to get a big catch is knowing the best weather for trout fishing. 

Choosing the ideal weather conditions can significantly increase your chances of meeting your trout fishing goals as it determines the position of the fish in the water, while also ensuring your fishing trip doesn’t get ravaged by the natural elements. 

This quick guide will help you gauge the best time to go trout fishing, helping you land a greater catch making your fishing trip more successful and memorable. 

Let’s go check it out!

What is the Best Weather for Trout Fishing?

Knowing when is the best weather for trout fishing is one of the defining traits of excellent fishermen and anglers.

How successful your trout fishing expedition depends on the time of year you go, the time of the day you choose, and the surrounding temperature. 

To help you understand the ideal time to bring out the trusty trout fishing rod or fly fishing rods and go out on a fishing expedition, it is first helpful to take a look at trout and their natural tendencies. 

What is Trout Like?

Trout are a real prize for anglers everywhere because of their distinctly delicious meat, and the sizes that they reach. They usually reach about 45cm long and tend to feed on smaller fish, and tiny aquatic creatures.

Trout fish are cold-blooded, which means that their body temperature mirrors their surrounding temperatures.

The rate of their metabolism depends on the heat in their external environment. Hotter surroundings increase the rate of their metabolism, while a colder environment slows them down, and makes them more lethargic. 

Trout are considered to be clever in the way they hide and deflect trout fishing lures and bait. Usually, trout like to inhabit conditions that are comfortable for humans as well, so extreme temperatures are likely to keep the trout out of reach of the drop shot fishing rod and you may need to get a drill for ice auger.

How to Choose the Best Time to Go Trout Fishing

When going hunting for trout, it is essential that you consider the best weather for trout fishing. There are several aspects that you should consider that will help you get a prime catch.

1. Pick the Ideal Season

It is traditionally believed that spring is the best season to go trout fishing due to the increase in temperatures after the cold winter months.

The temperature increase also dictates the amount of small fish in the waters, which dictates the increased tendency of trout feeding during the time, making them more likely to succumb to the temptations of bait and lure. 

During springtime, trout have a higher metabolic rate due to high external temperatures, making the fish very hungry, and always on the prowl for something to eat. 

During summer, the degree of stocked trout activity decreases substantially as the weather becomes too hot for the fish, making it more likely to go into deeper waters in search of cooler spots to inhabit. 

Fishing in the autumn and winter seasons is very frustrating due to the significant decrease in the size of streams, and the cooling temperatures which reduce the fish metabolism and subsequent activity. 

2. Gauge the Perfect Temperature

Sometimes an idea of the external temperature can help dictate trout movement, and make you more likely to effectively use the best weather for trout fishing.

The ideal temperature for trout is between 55 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Anything higher or lower would reduce trout’s metabolism, as the fish attempts to protect itself from the extremity in temperature. 

When the temperatures reach higher than 65 degrees Fahrenheit (usually during the summers) the trout seek cooler waters by going from the shallows into deeper waters, such as deep holes or areas of shade in lakes and streams. 

3. Find the Right Time of Day

While going fishing for trout it is smart to consider the right time of the day to go fishing. Though trout feed throughout the day, the most fruitful time to go fishing is dawn and dusk. 

During the morning, the prime time for trout fishing is from dawn extending to two hours after sunrise. In the evening, the ideal fishing time ranges from three hours before sunset to dusk. 

Since trout have reduced line vision and excellent depth perception, they are able to detect the small fish they feed upon in the lower light conditions. Such conditions confuse their prey, making these times perfect for the trout to feed. 

Similarly, the slowest time to yield a good catch of trout is during the night, and during the peak hours of the afternoon. The night becomes colder, while midday becomes really hot, thus both conditions make the trout more likely to go deeper in order to avoid the extremes in weather. 

Do Storms Affect Trout Fishing? 

In order to understand the best weather for trout fishing, it is crucial to understand the effect that storms have on trout.

Going trout fishing after heavy rain is a superb idea. This is because rain allows the water to become darker and more oxygenated, helping the trout see better, and increasing their metabolism. 

Interestingly, the force of rain causes insects and other small aquatic creatures to rise closer to the water surface from the water bed, inciting a feeding frenzy for the trout near the water surface. This makes it significantly easier for anglers to catch them. 

However, keep in mind that prolonged cold rain spells will reduce your chance of catching trout, as the cold would decrease the water temperatures. As discussed previously, trout would move to different places and even become less active when faced with a cold environment. 

Conclusion 

Trout fishing is an exciting sport, and knowing the best weather for trout fishing can significantly increase your chances of having a more successful catch during a fishing trip.

It is important to gauge the weather patterns beforehand to see if there has been any rain in the area you decide to fish for trout. 

Springtime has the best weather for trout fishing, so it is always a great idea to pack your fishing equipment and take a couple of friends out for a trip after the cold winter subsides!