The stocked-lake staple of the West — hatchery rainbows planted when the water is cool, plus holdovers that grow smart and fat. The fish that teaches most Western kids to fish.
Oncorhynchus mykiss · Also known as: Stockers, 'bows, planters. Ideal water temp 52–62°F.
Cool, oxygenated water. In reservoirs they cruise the top 10 feet when the surface is under 65°F — dam faces, inlet flows and wind-blown points — then slide deep to the thermocline as summer heat builds. Fresh stockers hold near the plant site for days before spreading out.
| Season | Best bait | Best lures | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | Dough bait off the bottom, inflated nightcrawlers, salmon eggs | Inline spinners, small casting spoons, trolled small plugs | Stocking season. Fresh plants stay shallow and near the plant site — fish the banks. |
| Summer | Nightcrawler on a slip rig fished deep, early only | Spoons counted down to the thermocline | Surface water gets too warm; fish deep, early, or near cold inflows. Handle fish fast in warm water. |
| Fall | Dough bait, nightcrawlers as the water cools through the 60s | Inline spinners along the banks, small spoons | The cool-down brings trout back shallow and stockings resume. Second-best window of the year. |
| Winter | Dough bait or a nightcrawler soaked patiently off the bottom | Slow-rolled spoons and spinners on warm afternoons | Slow but honest — the biggest holdover trout of the year come to the angler willing to wait. |
Active from 45°F to 68°F — sweet spot 52–62°F. Watch the live water temp on our location pages.
Low light and overcast stretch the bite; bright, calm middays push them deeper and make them line-shy. A light ripple is your friend — it breaks up the surface and lets trout feed shallow in comfort. In winter, the warmest hour of the afternoon can out-fish dawn.
Get a live lure pick from the smart lure tool, browse the full lure & bait database, or go back to all species guides.