Fishing for Stocked Trout: Tips and Techniques for Success

As a trout fishing guide, I spend most of my time fishing for hard-to-catch big wild trout so when I’m guiding or fishing for stocked trout I actually find them much easier to catch. Unfortunately, many anglers make common mistakes that limit the amount of stocked trout they catch. With my methods and tips, you will surely catch more stocked trout.

Fishing for stocked trout successfully requires the angler to know where, when, and how to catch them. Using the most effective bait on the proper leader setup, which includes the right trout hook and leader thickness is the key to more stocked trout.

I’ve guided and taught around 3000 anglers in the last 22 years, and my observation is that most anglers make the same easy-to-fix mistakes. These little mistakes really limit their success, hence why they hire guides like me to teach them how to catch trout.

The way I look at it, if you are going fishing for stocked trout, you might as well do it right, and do it better.

Understanding Stocked Trout Behavior

After being released into the water, they may initially be disoriented and hesitant to feed, or at least not know what to actually feed on since they’ve been fed trout food pellets all their lives.

However, once they acclimate to their new environment, they’ll start actively searching for food, and since they don’t know what real food is they will put just about anything into their mouths.

For this reason, this is why some anglers will catch trout on commercially bought baits like trout dough, or corn, or even marshmallows. However, these are all poor percentage baits.

Keep in mind that stocked trout are also used to being fed by humans in hatcheries, so they may be less cautious than wild trout. This means you can be less stealthy and even get pretty close to them.

I actually have a video of me poking freshly stocked rainbow trout with my rod tip and then casting and catching them, which clearly shows how used to humans they get. You can’t do this with wild fish!

But, after a while, even hatchery trout can become weary and hook-and-line shy.

Choosing The Right Equipment

For lures, consider using small spinners, spoons, or crankbaits that imitate the natural prey of trout.

I prefer using natural baits that imitate natural food which I will discuss below.

The Right Gear and Fishing Rig For Stocked Trout Fishing

If you are not sure what gear you need or how to set up a trout fishing rig, this is it.

Gear For Stocked Trout Fishing

Spinning Rod: a 6 to 8-foot ultralight to medium light will work for most stocked trout fishing. For small stream trout and for ponds a 6 to 7-foot rod is good, 7 foot is my go-to when fishing ponds, but if you mostly float fish the extra length of an 8 to 8.6″ rod is better.

Spinning Reel: A spinning reel size of 15 to 20 is ideal for most stocked trout.

Fly Rod and Reel Setup: Use an 8 to 9-foot fly rod setup with a matching reel and a floating fly line for all your stocked trout fishing, except when you are using specific methods like nymphing. See: What Weight Fly Rod For Trout: What Do Guides Recommend

Line: For most bait fishing and when casting lures, stocked trout are not as strong so a lighter line is good. I will use a 6-pound mainline most of the time which helps with long casts too.

For float fishing, a monofilament line or braided line is best. For casting lures, a braided line combined with a 16″ to 30-inch fluorocarbon leader is best. Or just use a fluorocarbon mainline. See: The Best Fishing Line For Trout: What The Guides Use

Your leader includes your weights and your hook. Even the hook can greatly improve your success. This is what I use for stocked trout fishing:

• 3 to 4 pound fluorocarbon leader – I highly recommend the 4 pound Seaguar STS Trout/Steelhead Fluorocarbon Leader Material, I catch big steelhead on the 6 pound so the 4 pound is more than enough for those stockies.
• The Best Hook For Stocked Trout – The best hook for stocked trout in the same as that experienced anglers and guides use. I know that shorter shank hooks like the Raven Specimen hook or the Gamakatsu Octopus hook with a semi-wide gap work the best. See my article 10 Of The Most Effective Trout Hooks.

Bobber/Floats: if you are bait fishing, a bobber or a river float is a good idea. A slip float will also work in deeper water.

Now that you have all your gear you just need to put it all together. Be sure you use an easy but strong knot, see: 9 Best Trout Fishing Knots For Beginners That Guides Use.

There is also other gear that you should have and that will make your fishing experience better such as: Forceps, nippers, waders, fishing vest or fishing pack, polarized sunglasses, and more. Check out:

• River Fishing Gear: Everything You Need To Succeed In 2023
• Fly Fishing Gear: Everything You Need To Fly Fish

Click the link if you really want more in-depth info and leader set-ups check out: Trout Fishing: A Comprehensive Guide

Picking The Perfect Location For Stocked Trout Fishing

In a river, the stocked trout will stay close to where they were stocked at least until big rains and faster currents spread them out.

Since these hatchery-raised trout were raised in tanks with little or no current, they will speak out slower water in the streams too.

Generally, fish the bigger slower pools, slower current edges, near undercut banks, and tail-outs.

Guide Tip: Smaller fish will get eaten in the bigger pools so later in the season, the survivors and the most fish will be in shallower and faster runs.

Timing is Everything

The time of day can significantly impact your chances of catching stocked trout as well since early morning and late afternoon are often the most productive times. Just like wild trout, stocked fish are more likely to be actively feeding during these periods.

Additionally, overcast days can be best to catch fish, as trout are less likely to be spooked by shadows on the water’s surface.

The Most Effective Techniques For Stocked Trout Fishing

Experimenting with different fishing techniques can increase your chances of success. Here are a few methods to try:

• Float fishing – Bobber Fishing: Float fishing is popular in streams, ponds, and lakes. Suspend bait or a small lure beneath a bobber to target trout feeding below the surface. Float fishing is a good way to cover a lot of water in a stream and will help you find trout.
• Drift Fishing: When fishing rivers without a bobber, especially in shallower water, you will catch more trout when using a method known as Bottom bouncing for the best success.
• Bottom fishing: Use a sliding sinker rig with bait to target trout feeding near the bottom, I call this method Plunking and I use it for trout, steelhead, and salmon. Plunking For Trout and Steelhead: Includes 2 Most Effective Plunking Rigs
• Lure Fishing: Cast small lures or spinners and retrieve them at varying speeds to entice strikes from curious trout. Some of the best and most popular lures are: Jigs, Panther Martin spinners, spoons and spinners, and crankbaits. See: 31 Best Trout Lures Of 2023 Rated By Trout Guides
• Fly Fishing: My favorite and most effective method for catching trout in rivers is to fly fish for them. When trout are feeding on the surface you can dry fly fish for them, when they are feeding below the surface you can nymph for them or use streamers. Stocked trout find smaller streamer flies twitched in slowly are very hard to resist. See: Fly Fishing For Trout.

Also, check out Spin Fishing For Trout: Guide Methods and Tips for More Trout

Best Bait For Stocked Trout

However, I never use these because in my experience maybe 1 out of every 10 trout will grab and hold onto these fake baits. Instead, I highly recommend you use a more natural food.

1. Worms: Likely the most effective trout bait is the garden worm, not the giant dew worm, however, both can be rigged wrong which will limit your success. See: Fishing With Worms For Trout and Steelhead: 10 Guide Tips
2. Salmon Eggs, and Trout Eggs: Fish eggs are A natural bait that can be excellent for all trout. I discuss how to use eggs and how to make them even more productive. Click to see more.
3. Grubs, and Insects: Grubs, maggots, mealworms, and insects can be great baits for trout.
4. Artificial Flies: In moving current sections it is hard to beat artificial flies, especially after the trout have been in the streams for a few days and have realized that insects are a readily available food source. See 29 Best Trout Flies: Modern Flies Used By River Guides
5. Live Bait: Minnows and leeches and even crayfish are good trout baits that even stocked rainbow trout have a hard time resisting. I discuss these, as well as grubs and many other great trout baits on another page.

You might also like:

• Best Bait For Brown Trout: 5 Most Effective Baits That Guides Use

Catch and Release Best Practices

Use barbless hooks or pinch down the barbs on your hooks to make removal easier.

Wet your hands before handling the fish to minimize damage to their protective slime coating.

Gently remove the hook and release the trout back into the water as quickly as possible.

Cleaning And Cooking Your Catch

If you decide to keep your catch, it’s essential to clean and prepare the trout properly.

Once the fish has been dispatched humanely, remove the head, gut, and gills with a sharp knife.

Rinse the trout thoroughly with clean water and pat dry.

Trout can be cooked in various ways, such as grilling, baking, or pan-frying, and seasoned with your favorite herbs and spices.

Check out: How To Fillet A Trout Properly.

Quick Guide Tips If You Want To Catch Stocked Trout:

• Avoid floating bait, the best bet is to use natural baits below the surface
• Use the correct gear and set it up properly
• If you are new to fishing, find easy access spots and watch how other anglers are catching fish. Avoid learning from guys that don’t catch stocked trout.
• Fish the shorelines of lakes and ponds as this is where most trout cruise and feed.
• Some rivers and lakes are open year-round but check the local fishing regulations first.
• Opening day is often the business day of the year so stocking is often done the week before or the week after, depending on the area.
• If you plan to keep and eat trout, learn to fillet them and how to remove the bones.
• If you plan to release trout, have a good wading net and replace the treble hooks on your lures with a single hook. A treble hook can do a lot of damage to fish, and they get stuck in the net more.
• If you use a braided line, attach a 24 to 30-inch Fluorocarbon leader with micro barrel swivels.
• If you bait fish around ponds, you can get a rod holder to place your rod.
• Use a creel to transport your caught trout.
• If an area has a lot of anglers, don’t fish in the same area since the trout here can be spooked. Go find trout where they are less pressured.

Fishing For Stocked Trout Conclusion

Always remember to follow local fishing regulations, respect the environment, and practice ethical angling.

Tight Lines,

Graham