Where to catch Rainbow Trout? Best fishing lakes and rivers in the United States.
Table Of Contents
- Hats and sun Glasses
- Pliers and Nipples
- The best fishing flies to use
- Stay Organized
- Fishing Net
- Fishing Vest
- Rainbow Trout Fishing Setup
- Tips for fishing in general
- Best Time To Catch Rainbow Trout
These fish are used in restaurants across America and offered on the seafood menu, even if you’ve never reeled one in, you probably have enjoyed one at dinner before.
Rainbow trout are native to the rivers and lakes in western North America side, let’s talk about some of the best rivers and lakes to catch one of these trouts.
Below is a list of where to catch rainbow trout, these rivers will have you coming back over and over again to fish.
Rainbow Trout River 1
The frying pan river in Colorado.
42 miles long and located in the central west part of Colorado, this river holds some of the largest rainbow trout in the country.
Interestingly fact, the river’s name originates from an incident that took place between a trapper and a group of indigenous people from the Ute tribe.
The two men were trappers and when local natives from the UTE tribe attacked them, one of the men had no choice but to go for help.
To be able to find his injured friends location the trapper hung a frying pan from the trees limb along the riverside, thus giving it the name frying pan river!
But where do you fish for those rainbow trout?
This river is 42 miles long, but not all of it means great fishing, there is a section on the river called Toilet Bowel, this section of water hols lots and lots of trout.
The downside to this area is the crowds, but this is because every angler knows the Toilet bowl section of the river is where the trout hang out.
Be sure to get there early and prepare to fish into the evening!
For someone who wants a more secluded fishing trip, and to escape the crowds, head to an area called Basalt.
Just outside of the town of Basalt there is a reservoir and this water is called gold medal waters. Most anglers will fish the toilet bowl sections, so this part of the river will have fewer fishermen.
One last area that holds some good fishing is the Upper Frying pan river, which is above the Ruedi Reservoir. This area will have fewer anglers.
The upper fryingpan river is best fished early in the morning and evenings for best success.
Rainbow Trout River 2.
Henry’s Fork Idaho:
Located close to island park in eastern Idaho.
Make sure you bring a big cooler or fishing basket because the river know to the locals as the (Hank) holds some large hungry rainbow and brown trout.
Be sure when you do fish this river, that you bring artificial lures and barb-less hooks because bait and barbed hooks are banded on this river.
head to the upper section of Henry’s fork river to the Big Springs area with 120 million gallons of water flowing each day there is a lot of fish here.
There will be areas that are closed to anglers, however, most fishermen will find themselves around Mack’s Inn and Coffee Pot Rapids.
Just below the Island park Damn, starts the box canyon section of the river, this part has a lot of rocks that the fish like to gather around.
Harriman Ranch – a.k.a. Railroad Ranch
6 mile stretch of pure fishing, is best for fly fishing, but rod and reel anglers can join in on the fun also.
Rainbow Trout 3.
White River Arkansas
Runs through the southern tip of Missouri and all through Arkansas, this postcard landscape offers some great fishing.
There are dams on the river so rushing water is all over, cast your lines and bring in some nice trout for a day’s catch.
Rainbow Trout River 4.
Bighorn River, Montana
Bighorn is a stable environment for trout to flourish, making this a perfect spot for any angler’s dream fishing vacation.
Rainbow Trout River 5.
Green River, Utah
With clear greenish waters and red canyons surrounding it, how could anyone want to be anywhere else, fishing?
The best place for anglers to fish is at the Flaming Gorge Dam, and the best time to fish this river is in the early spring.
Make sure to check with state officials on regulations and if fishing Licensing is needed in the areas you will be fishing.
Best Time To Catch Rainbow Trout
The best time of year for trout fishing can be year around, as long as the waters aren’t frozen over.
Let’s go over a few best practices on when to fish for success.
There is some debate on the best fishing times for rainbow trout, however, trout do like water temperatures to be around 45 to 65 Degrees.
Most mountain waters don’t get much colder than 35 so they never freeze over, plus the water is moving so it’s harder for it to develop ice.
Some anglers report that winter fishing, results in less fish but they seem to catch larger fish when the bite is on.
The weather is very nice and comfortable during the fall on the west coast, not too cold but not too hot either.
Springtime is always a good time of year for fishing, fish are on the move and lots of insects are hatching so there often times is more action with fish biting.
Really there is no set time of the year that is better than the other for rainbow trout, as they are a year-round fish.
Tips for fishing in general
- Always start early morning fish are most active during the morning before it gets too hot out.
- Fishing after a rain storm always seems to have an increased bite
- Use live bait or artificial bait when possible
- Make bait look natural to the fish, make sure it’s hooked properly and weighted correctly
- Fish early evening as the sun starts to set, this is dinner time for the fish and it creates a great biting freezy
Rainbow Trout Fishing Setup
Fishing Essentials every angler needs for trout fishing
- Fishing rod and reel
- Waders and Staff
- Fishing Vest
- Landing Net
- fly boxes and tackle box
- flies and lures
- forceps, pliers, and nippers
- hates and sunglasses
Most trout caught from shore or boats are only a few pounds, so no need to have a heavy-duty rod, a 6′ rod with a 1000 series reel spooled with a 4 lb test line should do the trick.
Most of the time fishing for rainbow trout is done by fly fishing rods, so in this article, we will be referencing fly fishing and not spinning rods.
A good fly fishing rod for rainbow trout fishing in rivers would be the 4 WT easy to handle and works best for smaller rivers and tight areas.
You can use a bail casting rod and reel, but the success with fly fishing is a lot higher for rainbow trout.
Check out Fly rods for beginners and advanced anglers below we listed our top picks
Wild Water Standard Fly Fishing Combo Starter Kit, 3 or 4 Weight 7 Foot Fly Rod, 4-Piece Graphite Rod with Cork Handle, Accessories, Die Cast Aluminum Reel, Carrying Case, Fly Box Case & Fishing Flies
Orvis Clearwater Fly Rod Outfit – 5,6,8 Weight Fly Fishing Rod and Reel Combo Starter Kit with Large Arbor Reel and Case
Every angler who plans to fly fish from a river needs to have a solid pair of waders, so they can stay warm and dry.
Waders are a bit hard to get used to wearing if you are new to this type of fishing, there are two types of waders.
wader type 1.
One piece type wader where the boots are attached and you just slide your legs into them toss the straps over your shoulders and you’re good to go.
BASSDASH 3D Boot Foot Game Wader Ultra High Strength Nylon PVC Fishing Hunting Chest Waders for Men
Wader type 2.
Is a 2 piece, you have the waders and then the boots sold separately, this option is more suited for anglers that have worn waders before and know what they want.
FROGG TOGGS Men’s Grand Refuge 2.0 Zip-Front Bootfoot Wader
Fishing Vest
Fishing vests are important because, you most likely be in the water up to your waist fishing, the last you want is to wade back to shore for your tackle box.
A fishing vest allows you to carry extra fishing hooks, flies, a knife, and pliers its a tackle box you can wear essentially
Fishing Net
A fishing net or landing net is crucial because you’ll have one hand tied up holding the rod, and you’ll need to get the fish out of the water somehow.
Since you’ll be halfway into the river, a landing allows you to grab the fish, and unhook it without any hassle.
Find a good landing net that is small but durable, and has a hook to latch onto your fishing vest.
Stay Organized
Having a good tackle setup is important, and knowing exactly where hooks are and different fishing gear,m for a quick switch out is important.,
No angler wants to fumble around looking for new hooks or lures and waste time without their line in the water hooking a fish.
The best fishing flies to use
- Cormorants
- Marsdens Mohicans
- Cats, whickers, variants
- viva variants
- epoxy minnows
- blob flies
- egg flies
- wooly buggers
Pliers and Nipples
You will need something to grab the hooks from the fish’s mouth, having a good set of needle nose pliers is good for getting into tight areas of the fish’s mouths.
Below is a list of affordable pliers to use
Hats and sun Glasses
Make sure to protect yourself when out in the sun all day, wearing good fishing hate keeps the sun away and can help prevent skin cancer on your next and ears.
Utilizing a good pair of polarized sunglasses will keep your eyes protected from the UV rays and let you see better when fishing
