4 Best Lures For Steelhead: A Pro Guides Recommendations

Wouldn’t it be great if you knew what the best lures for steelhead were and what the steelhead river guides use? As a river guide, I have had the opportunity to test many lures and can confidently tell you what the four best types of lures for steelhead are for different types of water and in different river conditions.

The most effective steelhead lures are:

• Spinners: Size #3, in multiple colors. My favorite is the Vibrax Spinner
• Spoons: Heavy 3-inch casting spoons, with a straight retrieve or jig-type retrieve is best. Many colors work.
• Plugs: Slow moving, and with a great wobble or action. Some of the best are Kwickfish and Yakima Mag-lips
• Crankbaits: Brads wiggler, Rapalas, and Storm crankbait in 3 to 5-inch lengths are the best.

These steelhead lures will account for over 90% of the steelhead caught by lure anglers on steelhead rivers around the Great Lakes and the West Coast.

I will also add two bonus lures that you may not have thought about yet. Plus, since I’m a fishing guide and have a ton of knowledge on fishing steelhead with lures, I will add some tips and tricks to make your lures more effective.

Best Lures For Steelhead Fishing

Part of the reason is that they don’t know how to work the lure, give it action, at what depth to fish the lure, and even how to cover the water effectively. Getting any one of these things wrong can mean fewer or no steelhead, imagine getting most of them wrong!

I’ll provide some advice on these things so you can better understand how to fish your lures more effectively.

Somedays, the steelhead and trout are not very aggressive; when this happens, not all lures will work. Some lures will trigger more bites than others, therefore it’s good to have a few different lures or all of these lures in your box, and to try them all.

The Spinner Is The Best Steelhead Lure

If this lure is fished well, it can be the best steelhead lure on both the Great Lakes steelhead rivers and the West Coast steelhead rivers.

The key to fishing this lure well is to let the current do most of the work for you and to get the spinner down to within 2 or 3 feet of the steelhead. There is one other thing that I do to entice more strikes.

How To Use A Spinner For Steelhead?

Basically, it’s a super slow retrieve that almost feels way too slow, but it works. At the beginning of the retrieve, I will give the spinner a fast but short pull to ensure the blades start spinning, and then I slowly work the spinner in.

Even though it’s a super slow retrieve, the current will spin those blades for you and will swing it across and in front of the fish at a slow and enticing speed.

Both aggressive and less aggressive steelhead may strike out at a slow-moving spinner, whereas a fast spinner may only get the most aggressive fish to feed, which may mean fewer fish for you at the end of the day.

The exception to this is that if you feel like the fish are very aggressive and will hit the faster retrieve, it may be better to use a faster retrieve because you can make more casts, cover more water, and therefore catch more fish.

Keep in mind that a retrieve on a downriver angle that is reeled in too fast will stay high in the water and might be way over their heads, and a retrieve that is too slow will hit too much bottom.

If a faster retrieve is what you want to do, you may need to keep the tip of the rod below the water, and it will help keep your spinner deeper. It also helps to use a spinner that gets down deeper. See my favorites below.

For a normal to slow retrieve, I recommend that my clients set the drag perfectly and keep the rod two feet off the water for a better hook set and to keep the lure down deep. Point the rod tip straight at the spinner but don’t pull it, let the current swing it across the pool for you.

If you start hitting the bottom, maintain the same speed but lift the rod tip higher to try to keep the lure 2 to 3 feet off the bottom. You may need to keep going higher and higher to prevent hooking too much bottom.

GUIDE TIP: One thing I sometimes do to entice more strikes is to rip or jerk the spinners every 6 to 10 feet. I will often make the first retrieve a straight-in retrieve and then run the exact same path a second time with a more erratic and jerking and ripping type retrieve to see if that will trigger a strike. Some days, they will really react to this jerking type of retrieve.

The difference between an angler covering the entire spot systematically compared to an angler casting aimlessly is sometimes 10 to 1.

The other mistake I see all the time is when anglers cast up the river and then reel downriver. When you do this in faster water it often means you have to reel extra fast just to get those blades spinning and just to keep the lure off the bottom.

That extra fast lure coming straight at the fish means that it might be too fast and the fish will miss it or not hit it at all. Casting up the river is not a good angle.

What Size Spinners Are Best For Steelhead?

Under dirtier water conditions, I will often go to the bigger spinner first, which could be up to a size 5, and under low and clear water conditions, I will sometimes start with a size 2 spinner and work up to a size 3 or 4.

What Is The Best Spinner Colors For Steelhead

In dirty water, I prefer spinners that make a lot of noise, like the Blue Fox Vibrax Spinner, because even if they can’t see the spinner in the dirty water, they may be able to home in on it by the vibration.

For nighttime lure fishing, I also prefer very loud spinners, and my best color is usually black. The black silhouette seems to stand out and is easy for them to find.

Single Hook Or Treble Hook Spinners For Steelhead

A large single hook seems to hook as many fish as a treble hook due to the larger gape, but the single hook doesn’t do as much damage to a fish that you plan on releasing. Treble hooks can also be a nightmare when they get tangled in the net, but the single hooks are not so bad because the hook is usually in the fish’s mouth.

Prevent Line Twist With Spinners

Adding a quality size 3 or 4 snap swivel like the ones from Owner Brand or a size 4 Spro Snap Swivels may prevent unwanted line twist that is common with spinner fishing, and the swivels make it easier for you to change colors and sizes.

The Best Spinners For Steelhead – My Favorite

The best spinner for steelhead is the Blue Fox Classic Vibrax Spinner or the Super Vibrax Spinner.

I’ve seen fish move over a long way to hit a Vibrax spinner, and I truly believe that a Vibrax spinner makes so much noise that some fish will feel the vibrations long before they even see the lure.

I also like that Vibrax spinners come in a fast deep water model and a normal or slower water model and that they have a tone of great colors to choose from.

I highly recommend the Mepps Flashabou spinner in size 3 or 4 in the Silver Blue-silver, Silver black- silver, brown trout, and gold brown-orange. Chartreuse blade and Orange blade in size 5 are my -go-to in higher or dirtier water.

There are other good spinners that will work, but honestly, these three brands have you covered with sizes, colors, and styles, so these are all you need.

The KwikFish Is One Of The Best Steelhead Lures

You may also find some different colors to try in the Flatfish but both lures are great.

How To Fish A Kwikfish For Steelhead

What makes this lure so good is the action it has and the ability to move it slowly through the water. This lure has a crazy back and forth wide wobble that drives fish crazy. Both aggressive and neutral fish will smash this lure when it’s wobbling in their face.

I fish this lure similar to the way I fish spinners with an across and slightly downriver angle and with a super slow retrieve as it swings across the pool. Working the lure deep and moving it 3 feet down each time I cast will cover the water well.

If I hit bottom, I simply lift my tip up a couple of feet to keep it just over their heads. If I hit bottom again, I lift the rod tip even higher.

Be careful not to reel this lure too fast as it tends to run sideways and will come up to the surface if you do. Keep it low and keep it slow!

If one color doesn’t work, start rotating through colors until you find a color that works for you.

The Best Kwikfish Colors For Steelhead?

This lure comes in a bunch of great colors and color combinations, and I have a few favorites that work really well for me.

For low and clear water conditions, I will use more natural colors like the Rainbow Trout, or the MJ-Black-Holo Glitter pattern which is my best color even in bigger water. Silvers and golds can sometimes be good in lower clear water too since these colors can resemble bait fish or small trout and salmon. Just make sure you use the right sizes.

For dirty water, I like to go with a larger 4 to 5-inch size in chartreuse, and silver, or a combination of silver and bright fluorescent colors.

I also really like the Luhr Jensen Kwikfish K Series with the Rattle in dirty water because I believe the fish will pick up on the sound before they see the lure and this will get you more bites.

For most normal medium to large size rivers with clear to greenish water, I do really well with the colors MJ-Black-Holo Glitter, Slammer, Silver Pink Mamba, and Black Chrome Red Streak, but there are a lot of other colors that work.

I tend to rotate through all my colors and sizes until I find out what they want.

Just like with all lures, the key to success is to cover the spot well with each color. To do this effectively, it’s not uncommon for me to work one color like silver through the entire spot, moving down 2 to 3 feet with each cast and work all the way to the bottom of the pool and then move back up to the top of the pool and do it again with an opposite or contrasting color.

This means if I started with a shiny color like silver, my second color I might go straight to a black or very dark color, and if that doesn’t work, maybe switch to something very bright and weird like chartreuse or orange.

The Kwikfish is also one of the most popular lures used when back trolling for steelhead and when back bouncing for steelhead.

The Best Kwikfish Sizes For Steelhead?

For smaller rivers, I will stick with the 2 3/4 inch Kwikfish which is usually big enough for small and larger steelhead.

In the medium to larger-sized rivers or when the water is really clear, I will still catch a lot of fish on the 2 3/4 size and that is the size that I will often start with, in fact, it’s usually my go-to size most of the time but there are times when a larger size is better.

There are times when the steelhead will be more aggressive and attack a larger sized lure, or there are times when I need to get a bit deeper so I will start to increase the size to 3 3/8, and even up to 4 1/4 inches. These bigger sizes are also better in dirtier water.

I make sure I always have an assortment of colors in the 2 3/4 and 3 3/8 sizes.

There are a couple of different models of the Kwikfish and I like the Kwikfish X-Treme the most. I have checked Amazon and Bass Pro Shops and the best prices and best assortment of colors and sizes that I have found for this lure and many lures on this page are at FishUSA.com.

The Flatfish and the Yakima Mag Lip are two very similar lures with similar shape and action to the Kwikfish. I use these two lures the same way and In the same type of water as the Kwikfish. I also know some river steelhead guides both out west and around the great lakes region that prefers these over Kwikfish.

Spoons Are One Of The Best Steelhead Lures

I had the opportunity to fish with a client who wanted to fish steelhead with spoons, and I think I learned more than he did that day. I put him in the right spots, and he went to work catching steelhead after steelhead using his technique, which was different from what I normally do.

I realized then that if you fish spoons properly, spoons can be deadly on steelhead in rivers.

Making sure you have the right sizes, the right weights, and the right colors will make a big difference.

How Do You Fish Spoons For Steelhead?

Just like the Spinners and the Kwikfish, slow and low is how you want to fish a spoon in moving water.

The way I fish steelhead spoons now is to cast it across and slightly upriver and then let the spoon drift freely for about 5 to 10 feet to get it down. The slower and shallower the water the less I let it sink. Heavier spoons also sink faster than light spoons, so you will need to adjust accordingly. Once the spoon is just a little bit downriver from me, I will lower my rod tip and start a super slow retrieve.

You should feel the spoon wobbling as you retrieve it and if you hit bottom just lift your rod tip up a little to keep it from hitting the bottom again and to keep the spoon 1 to 3 feet off the bottom.

Move down and repeat those steps. If a steelhead hits the spoon it will be hard and fast so you won’t have problems detecting a strike.

If the water is shallower I will cast my spoons across and down the river and start my retrieve much sooner so it won’t sink so deep. I will also use a lighter spoon in shallower slower water and a heavier spoon in deeper faster water.

When using spoons like the Krocodile spoon below I will sometimes jig or jump the spoon across the bottom. This involves letting it sink longer and then retrieving it very slowly and once I hit the bottom I will lift the tip of my rod a few feet and slowly reel until it hits the bottom again and then I lift the tip of the rod and repeat. This has been an amazing tactic for me for lots of fish.

Adding a quality size 3 or 4 snap swivel like the ones from Owner or a size 4 Spro Snap Swivels may give your spoons more action and make it easier for you to change colors and sizes.

Best Spoon Color For Steelhead

I also use combinations of silver with green and blue. In dirty water, I will use bright colors like chartreuse and hot orange or pink. Every river is different, so don’t be afraid to try out golds and reds as well.

Some spoons even come in a glow-in-the-dark finish, and they can be really good for day and night fishing.

Best Spoon Size For Steelhead

Some spoons are also very heavy, so if the river you fish or the area you want to fish is smaller, shallower, and slower, you may want to consider a spoon that is still in that 2 to 3-inch length but isn’t so heavy. The 1/4 oz Krocodile spoon is 2 1/8 inches and is a good choice for this type of water.

Most of the spoons I use for medium to larger rivers are in the 1/2 oz. to 3/4 oz.

Spoons that are too heavy will end up snagging on the bottom too much, and I find lighter spoons wobble better in the current.

Guide Tip – Replace the hooks with a large single wide gap hook so you don’t snag up and lose as many spoons to the bottom.

The Best Steelhead Spoons

Check out my article, Spoon Fishing For Steelhead for in-depth information on how to effectively cover the water, get the right depth, and my most effective presentation methods for spoon fishing.

Hardbaits For More Steelhead – The Steelheaders Secret Weapon

I started fishing for steelhead with crankbaits over 35 years ago. As a teenage kid, I liked watching as the steelhead would shoot across the pool and smash the lure.

Today, I still think that the crankbait is one of the most effective steelhead lures that you can use and is a must-have in any angler’s tackle box.

I use crankbaits in a few different styles for different conditions. I use the fat-style baits with a deep diving lip in medium to deep water at slow to medium speeds.

I like long-profile crankbaits with shallower diving lips for faster, shallower water.

I tend to use a medium to deep diving crankbait most often because I can control my depth by lifting or lowering my rod tip.

Fishing Crankbaits For Steelhead.

Since crankbaits don’t require time to sink, I simply cast them straight across the river or slightly down the river and then slowly retrieve them and let them swing across the river. I prefer a slow, steady retrieve that allows the crankbait to wobble a lot.

A little trick I learned a long time ago was to twitch or rip the crankbait about every 10 feet to trigger a strike.

If you start bumping the bottom, just lift your rod up higher to try to keep the crankbait 1 to 3 feet off the bottom. If you hit bottom too much, you should switch your crankbait to a shallower diving bait.

Guide Tip – The biggest mistake most anglers make is not getting the crankbait down far enough on rivers where you can’t see the bottom. This is why I like deep diving crankbaits, I reel them in with a low rod tip until I hit bottom, and then I lift the rod tip 2 to 6 feet, which should bring the crankbait up and off the bottom.

Just like the other lures that I mentioned above, it’s important to cover the water well and not miss an inch. I tend to cast, retrieve, and then step down 2 to 3 feet and cast again in the same direction, and then repeat.

Each time I step down another two to three feet, my lure should also move downriver 2 to 3 feet which allows me to cover the water 2 to 3 feet at a time which gets my lure in front of all the steelhead. I think under most river conditions, a steelhead will move 3 to 5 feet to hit a well-presented lure.

I almost always tie my line directly to my crankbaits with no snap swivels but you can use a snap swivel.

Best Crankbait Size For Steelhead

The best size crankbait for steelhead is between 2.5 inches and 4 inches with most of my crankbaits being around 3.5 inches. Crankbaits in the 3.5-inch size is what I would consider a perfect bite-size for most average-sized steelhead and in most rivers between 20 and 100 feet.

The Best CrankBait Colors For Steelhead

Crankbaits are used for many species and that means there are tons of great colors to choose from.

Like many of my lures, I like my crankbaits in colors that match the natural forage, like minnows, small trout, steelhead, chub, or suckers.

Silver and black, silver and blue, silver and green are always good choices, but I have had great success with crankbaits in bright colors like orange and chartreuse. Good options for crankbaits even include old favorites like the Rapala Original and Rapala Original Jointed.

Check out Crankbait Fishing For Steelhead page for in-depth information on how to effectively cover the water, get the right depth, and my most effective presentation methods for crankbaits.

Jigs For Steelhead Fishing

There are a lot of effective ways to fish steelhead, and a method that has become a favorite of mine, especially when other methods are not working is jig fishing for steelhead. Click the link for in-depth information, and my favorite steelhead jigs.

Jigs are a type of lure and they are my bonus lure for steelhead. Jigs are not used often by many anglers but jigs have caught me thousands of steelhead, and jigs can work when other lures don’t.

During times when steelhead or not very active due to cold water temperatures or other reasons, jigs get down and close to steelhead and can be used slowly and in an enticing manner, which can trigger bites from steelhead that are not in the mood to chase faster moving lures.

There are many ways to fish with jigs, but I only use jigs two methods that I have found to be most effective.

Both methods can work anytime, but you need to know how to use them, which ones work for float fishing, and which ones work for casting and jigging.

Spin & Glow

The Spin-N-Glo can spin in very little water currents. Using these baits can attract the attention of many fish since they can reach areas anglers find it difficult to reach with other lures or with bait. 

Spin-N-Glos are often cast out directly downriver from the steelhead and slowly dropped downriver and allowed to drift towards the feeding areas of steelhead and attract their attention.

When fishing smaller rivers, especially in tight and narrow quarters, anglers can use Spin-N-Glo to attract steelhead’s attention even when they hide behind boulders or logs by dropping the bait down beside and behind the rocks where steelhead might be holding.  

Spin-N-Glo is designed to attract attention through color and their spinning abilities. You can be more creative by adding some salmon eggs to the Spin-N-Glo to attract the attention of steelhead easily.

The Right Gear For Using Lures For Steelhead

It’s as important to use the right rods, reels, and lines for steelhead as it is to use the lures that are effective for steelhead.

You want a reel that has a nice smooth drag, holds plenty of line for those long runs and casts well, and can also be used for float fishing.

For the best reels that I have used and that I recommend to my clients, I have a dedicated page on the best spinning reels for steelhead that is worth checking out.

The steelhead rod you should be using should have enough length to manage and play a big steelhead and also enable you to lift the tip of the rod high enough to keep your lures off the bottom. I like rods around 9 feet for lure fishing for steelhead.

A 9-foot rod is also good for float fishing or bottom bouncing in case the steelhead are not in the mood to chase steelhead. Check out the page on the Best Steelhead Spinning rods that I use and recommend.

The right line can make all the difference so make sure you have a line on that is strong enough to handle big steelhead, durable enough to take a beating on the rocks, and invisible enough to not spook the fish.

Tight Lines!

Graham