Best 13 Brown Trout Fishing Lures
This post will list the best 13 brown trout fishing lures. Brown trout are a favorite of many trout anglers for a variety of reasons. Brownies are a gorgeous fish that fights hard. They can tolerate warmer water than other trout. This makes them more widely distributed. Brown trout grow fairly large. They will hit a wide variety of lures, flies, and baits.
Brown trout have a varied diets. This is one of the factors that results in so many lures being effective. Smaller brown trout feed on insects, flies, larvae, bait fish, and small crustaceans. As they grow larger, they shift to seeking more substantial meals. This mostly means larger bait fish and larger crustaceans.
The best 13 brown trout fishing lures all mimic bait fish or crayfish. These include spinners, spoons, plugs, and soft plastic baits. The great thing about all of these lures is that they catch brown trout of all sizes. Anglers choose the lure size based on available forage and size of the fish being sought. Big lures do catch big fish!
Brown trout can be found in a variety of environments and a fairly wide range of water temperatures. This results in brown trout being the most widely distributed trout in North America. They are found from tiny streams to large rivers. Some of the largest brown trout are landed by anglers fishing in lakes.
Top 13 brown trout fishing lures
Here is the list of the top 13 brown trout fishing lures. These are all proven baits which have been catching trout for a long time. All of them can be both cast or trolled. Trolling is a great way to locate fish in larger lakes.
- Worden’s Original Rooster Tail Spinner
- Rapala X-Rap Extreme Action Slashbait
- Little Cleo Spoon
- Panther Martin Spinner
- Sweedish Pimple Spoon
- Luhr Jensen Krocodile Spoon
- Mepps Aglia Spinner
- Rebel Jointed Minnow
- Flatfish
- Acme Kastmaster Spoon
- Mister Twister Grub
- Rebel Wee Craw
- Rapala Jointed Minnow
These brown trout fishing lures will catch fish in any situation. As an added bonus, they will fool most other trout species as well. Rainbow trout, brook trout, small lake trout, and other species can all be taken on these extremely effective lures!
1) Wordens Original Rooster Tail Spinner
Anglers can click this link to shop Amazon for Rooster Tail spinners
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The Worden’s Original Rooster Tail is an excellent brown trout fishing lure. In fact, it is a very productive lure for every trout species as well. This is your basic in-line spinner. Rooster Tails come in a variety of sizes and many different color patterns. The 1/16 ounce is ideal for streams and small rivers. Larger lures are better suited for trolling and lakes and for fishing larger rivers with stronger current.
Most anglers brown trout fishing choose a brightly colored Rooster Tail spinner with the gold blade finish. Gold is a excellent all-around color in a variety of conditions. Silver bladed spinners with light colored bodies are a good choice in bright sunny conditions in the middle of the day. They are even available with a single hook for waters that require that.
Rooster Tails are very easy baits to use. They can be cast as well as trolled and both rivers and lakes. One excellent aspect of this lure is that it is very light and sinks quite slowly. This makes it a good choice in shallow streams. The blade will rotate with just the slightest movement, putting out flash and vibration.
2) Rapala X-Rap
The Rapala X-Rap Extreme Action Slashbait is second on the list of top 13 brown trout fishing lures. It is in the family of what anglers call “jerk baits”. These are hard bodied plugs that float at rest and then dive down a few feet below the surface upon retrieve. They come in a wide variety of sizes and color patterns. The smaller 04 and 06 sizes are perfect for streams of small rivers. The larger 08 and 10 sizes work well when trolling or casting in lakes.
The best retrieve when using one of these baits is a hard twitch followed by a pause. This pause is very important as it simulates a wounded bait fish. Often times, strike occurs as the bait just hangs there motionless. Anglers in the Great Lakes and other larger lakes troll the number 10 and number 12 size X Raps to catch large brown trout.
Anglers can click this link to shop Amazon for Rapala X-Raps
3) Little Cleo Spoon
The Little Cleo spoon by Acme is a proven brown trout fishing lure. Spoons are really simple lures, just a curved piece of metal with a hook in. Like all spoons, this one puts out a ton of flash and vibration. Smaller versions are excellent for casting in streams and rivers with pools and more quiet water. They are fairly heavy and will sink down to the bottom quickly when not retrieved. They are excellent ice fishing lures as well.
Little Cleo spoons are very versatile baits. They can be cast out and retrieved in both rivers and lakes. Anglers trolling with these spoons do very well behind downriggers and other devices. They can also be presented vertically in both open water and ice fishing conditions. Silver and gold are popular finishes along with the many variations of painted patterns.
Anglers can click this link to shop Amazon for Little Cleo spoons
4) Panther Martin Spinner
Panther Martin spinners are legendary among trout anglers. They are number four on the list of top 13 brown trout fishing lures. Panther Martin spinners are heavier than some other in-line spinners. This makes them an excellent choice in larger streams and rivers with deeper pools and runs. They will hang up on the bottom in shallow streams.
Anglers fishing with Panther Martin spinners catch trout both trolling and casting in lakes. They are available in several sizes and quite a few different color pattern finishes. Once again, gold is a great all round blade color while silver works best under the bright sun. Many seasoned anglers are convinced that these lures put out a unique, fish calling vibration.
Anglers can click this link to shop Amazon for Panther Martin spinners
5) Swedish Pimple Spoon
The Swedish Pimple spoon is another bait with a long and storied reputation. It is a favorite among anglers ice fishing for brown trout as well. Smaller versions are productive when cast across the current and streams and rivers. Larger baits are used by anglers trolling for big brown trout in open water in the deeper rivers. It can be used in a vertical presentation over deep water structure and through the ice. Silver with a prism finish works well.
Anglers can click this link to shop Amazon for Swedish Pimple spoons
6) Luhr Jensen Krocodile Spoon
The Luhr Jensen Krocodile spoon is another effective and proven brown trout fishing lure. As with the other spoons, it is a very versatile lure that can be presented in a variety of fashions. They produce brown trout when cast in streams and rivers, cast and trolled and lakes in deeper rivers, and vertically fished through the ice and over submerge structure. It is available in a wide variety of color patterns and in several sizes.
Anglers can click this link to shop Amazon for Krocodile spoons
7) Mepps Aglia Spinner
Mepps is well known for their in-line spinners. The Mepps Aglia spinner is number seven on the list of the best 13 brown trout fishing lures. This bait has been around a very long time. It comes in multiple configurations, giving anglers a wide choice and colors and styles. The bait with the gold blade and brown dressed tail is one of the all-time favorites and still produces plenty of brown trout to this day. It is a fairly light spinner and works very well in streams and rivers.
Anglers can click this link to shop Amazon for Mepps Aglia spinners
8) Rebel Jointed Minnow
The Rebel Jointed Minnow is an excellent brown trout fishing lure, especially for larger fish. It is a hard body plug that, as the name implies, is jointed in the center. This gives it a very realistic action as it swims through the water. Gold with a black back and silver are two of the most popular color patterns. Anglers should match the size of the lure to the size of the fish being sought as well as the available forage. For the most part, this bait is used in larger rivers and lakes for anglers who are seeking brown trout that are larger than average.
Anglers can click this link to shop Amazon for Rebel Jointed Minnow plugs
9) Flatfish
These odd looking plugs are extremely productive for anglers brown trout fishing, especially in larger rivers. While they can be cast, the majority of anglers using them do so by trolling. There is also a special technique where they drop the plug back on a three-way sinker line into strong current. As the boat sits motionless, the Flatfish is played back downstream. The strength of the current causes the lure to dance seductively in one spot. This will trigger strikes from brown trout as they migrate up the river system.
Anglers can click this link to shop Amazon for Flatfish plugs
10) Acme Kastmaster Spoon
The Acme Kastmaster spoon looks a little different than the other spoons on this list of the best 13 brown trout fishing lures. However, the unique design gives it a tantalizing flash and wiggle in the water. The gold finish is by far the most popular for trout. However, silver with the prism finish is gaining in popularity. The tiniest sizes are extremely effective on trout and small streams. Larger versions can be cast or trolled in larger bodies of water.
Anglers can click this link to shop Amazon for Kastmaster spoons
11) Mister Twister Grub
Mister Twister grubs are well known among veteran freshwater anglers. However, not many associate them with brown trout fishing. This can be a mistake! This is especially true and water said get a lot of pressure. Often times, anglers casting a different bait will draw strike. Mister Twister grubs are fished on a jig head. The size and weight of the jig had will be determined by the current and the water depth. These lures will mimic bait fish as well as crustaceans and insects when bounced along the bottom.
Anglers can click this link to shop Amazon for Mister Twister Teeny grubs
12) Rebel Wee Craw
The Rebel Wee Craw is a legendary river trout fishing lure. However, like the Mister Twister above, most anglers associate it with smallmouth bass fishing. It is an extremely effective bait when used in pool sections between riffles. The Wee Craw will oftentimes catch larger trout. It is most effective when it is digging along the bottom, bouncing off of rocks and boulders. These plugs will turn sideways when used in heavy current. It slightly warmer waters that hold both brown trout and smallmouth bass, it is an excellent lure choice.
Anglers can click this link to shop Amazon for Rebel Wee Craw baits
13) Rapala Jointed Minnow
The old school Rapala Jointed Minnow is the last, but not least, selection on the list of best 13 brown trout fishing lures. It is similar to the Rebel plug, however it does have a different action. This bait can be used in larger streams, rivers, and lakes. It is an excellent lore when slowly trolled behind the boat. Gold with the white belly and black back is by far the most popular color pattern.
Anglers can click this link to shop Amazon for Rapala Jointed Minnow plugs
In conclusion, this article on the best 13 brown trout fishing lures will help anglers catch more trout in streams, rivers, and lakes!