In this fishing article we cover the ten best lures for trout fishing, that will help you catch more trout.
We will countdown from number 10 to1, with my favorite lure being number 1.
We also go over the positives and the negatives of some of these lures and what fishing conditions they are best suited for and how to fish them.
Further down the article we cover something more important than lure selection and lure color. This one will definitely help you catch more fish.
For some lures I will be talking about a specific brand and model of lure, for other types, just a general type of lure.
List Of 10 Best Trout Lures
#10. Metal Blade Lure
Number 10 on the list is the metal blade or metal vibe lure.
These are sinking lures and because of their small profile and heavy weight, they cast a mile. This is good for covering a big area of water.
The weight also helps get down quickly into deep water.
The tow attachment point angle can be changed and this can determine how much it vibrates and the angle it goes through the water.
You can roll the metal blades in with a consistent wind, but make sure the wind is faster enough so the lure is vibrating.
If there are minimal snags on the bottom of the lake, you can hop them up, with a lift of the rod tip. Then wind down the slack fishing line and let them sink to the bottom again.
This technique is good for covering a vertical area in the water column, especially if you don’t know what depth the fish are feeding.
They also can be jigged just vertically up and down. Such as in deep water from a boat, or on a pier or around a vertical structure like standing timber.
I like the Savage Gear Vibe Blade which has a great action.
The Negatives of the metal blade lures
They are not recommended for fishing in very shallow water, or areas with a lot of weed and snags, like fallen timber as the treble hooks can get snagged easily.
Although you could swap the treble hooks for single hooks.
Another disadvantage is you can’t fish them too slowly, you need a bit of speed for them to vibrate.
#9. Soft Vibe Lures
Number nine on my list for the best trout lures are soft vibe lures.
These are similar to the metal blade lures and can be fished in the same way.
The heavy weight and small size makes them good for casting a fair distance and they can be fished in deep water.
Some soft vibes have 1 lot of treble hooks, other brands have 2 sets of treble hooks.
Soft vibes can also be fished vertically around structures like piers, deep water and standing timber.
Like the metal blade lures, it can also be fished with the hop method, where you lift your rod up, then wind down and let it sink to the bottom.
For hot days with clear blue skies, the trout will venture down to deeper waters and soft vibes are good for covering that water.
The negatives of soft vibes are like the metal blade lures, in that they are not ideal for shallow snaggy areas.
#8. Soft Plastic Lures
Soft plastic lures are number 8 on the list of best trout lures.
Soft plastics are so versatile to fish and shouldn’t be overlooked for trout fishing.
Tips For Fishing Soft Plastics
The Fish Arrow Flash J Shad in the 2 inch minnow as well as the Daiwa Bait Junkie paddle tail and the Z-Man Slim Swimz in 2 ½ inch are some of my favorite soft plastics for trout.
They also come in a wide range of colors. The motor oil color or natural color plastics are great for clear waters.
The 2 inch, 2 ½ and 3 inch paddle tail will catch trout.
The positives of fishing soft plastic lures
One great thing about soft plastics is the ability to rig them with a different weight jig heads that suits your fishing conditions.
A heavy jig head can help you cast further out, covering more water.
Another benefit for a heavier jig head is when you want to fish deep water, or in strong currents or for when you want the bait to sink quickly.
When you want the bait to sink slowly, use a light weight jig head.
A lot of times with a light weight jig head you can get a take, as the soft plastic is fluttering down slowly.
Soft plastics can be fished close to the bottom or mid water.
For fishing close to the bottom or in snaggy waters, you can also rig them up weedless.
For covering deep water, you can fish them both vertically and horizontally as well.
You can also fish the hop method, which lifts the bait of the bottom, wind the slack up, then you let it sink down again.
Another way if you have a lake or river bottom with minimal snags, is to twitch and drag it across the bottom, pause it or in small hops.
Another positive of soft plastics are also very cheap compared to some hardbody lures.
You can get a pack, containing 6 or 8 soft plastic lures and a pack of jig heads for roughly the price of one good hardbody lure.
The jig head weight will depend if you are fishing deep or shallow. A jig head hook size of around size number 1, size # 2 and size # 4 will work for trout. Match the hook size to the size of the lure you are using.
The Negatives
For dirty or murkier waters I like something with more vibration like a hard body lure.
But you could rig up the soft plastic with a chatterbait blade or a jig spinner.
Compared to lures with treble hooks, the hook rate isn’t as good with a soft plastic bait as you can get some missed strikes and short strikes.
Some of the soft plastics are too long, so don’t be afraid to cut some of the body off.
The 2” and 2 ½” curly tail grub are also effective and will catch other fish as well like bass and perch.
Other types of soft plastic lures are also worth experimenting with like creature baits. Especially where there are alot of crayfish, crawfish, crawdads or yabbies around.
Overall soft plastics lures are so versatile to fish. As they can be fished in a lot of sizes, profiles, different water depths, methods and around structure, such as rigging them up with a weedless rig.
#7. Trout Magnets
Number 7 on my list of the 10 Best Lures For Trout Fishing is the Trout Magnet
A Trout Magnet is like a small soft plastic lure. You rig it up with a jig head.
Trout Magnets are ideal for smaller rivers, ponds and streams. Or when the fish are taking smaller type baits like aquatic insects.
They can also be used in bigger reservoirs and lakes, where there is a lot of fishing pressure, or for clear waters.
The Negatives Of The Lure
It doesn’t have a lot of action. So you have to twitch it slightly in lakes and ponds.
The light weight makes it hard to cast it any sort of distance for lake fishing. However, it is well suited to tumbling down the river or stream in the current.
A Trout Magnet kit is worth keeping in your tackle box as it doesn’t take up much room.
Alternatives to the Trout magnets are Strike Tiger Nymphs and other micro soft plastics like the Z-man Larvaz.
#6. Spoon Lures
Number 6 on my list are spoon lures.
Spoons have been catching fish for ages, but have fallen out of fashion with the new types of soft plastics and hardbody lures. But make no mistake, spoons are an effective lure.
Spoon lures have a side to side action and the wobble and the flash are effective for catching fish, like trout and salmon.
You can get them in a variety of sizes and colors.
Some are gold or silver color, or are painted with patterns on one or both sides.
The small sizes are good for small streams and rivers. And bigger ones are ideal for big lakes and reservoirs.
The Positives
The weight of the medium size lures are good for casting and covering a long distance.
Another benefit of spoons when they are casted out, they will flutter down when sinking and you will catch fish on the fall.
A lot of spoons are cheap and great value compared to the more expensive hard body lures like jerk baits and crank baits.
Spoons are easy to use and are generally indestructible.
The Negatives of the lure
The bigger and medium size spoons aren’t great in very shallow water as the treble hook can catch a lot of snags. However you can put a single hook on them and use a smaller size lure.
The Strike Pro Bob N Spoon is a good lure to look out for and they also have rattles in the body.
The appropriate size spoon lures will work on trout.
#5. Presso Minnow
Number 5 of the 10 Best Trout Lures For Fishing is the Daiwa Presso 60F Minnow.
The Daiwa Presso Minnow is a jerkbait type hardbody lure that is 60mm in length.
When you cast it out it will float and when you wind it, or jerk it it will dive down to around 3 feet or around 1 meter in depth.
When you stop winding it, it will then float back to the surface.
This is a good method for covering above weed beds and structures that are just under the water.
The Daiwa Presso Minnow has a tight wobble and enticing action. You can get these in a wide variety of lengths and colors and are effective for trout.
The Positives
You can fish them around and above weed beds and cover. If you want to fish them slow or fast you can.
For very shallow water, you can wind a few cranks of the reel and then stop, and they float back to the surface.
You can even fish them as a topwater lure if you keep the rod high enough and the action slowed down.
I like the natural colors for clear water, and the gold one when you need a bit of color and flash.
The negatives of the lure
Because of their light weight, 3.2g for the 60mm size, they cast well, but not as far as a heavier lure.
They are not the lure to use when the fish are feeding deep down in the water column as they only dive down about 3 feet or a meter, depending on the model.
Alternatives to the Daiwa Presso is the Rapala floating minnow. This comes in all different lengths and colors. It is another proven trout catcher that has been used for years.
Another alternative lure is the Daiwa jointed SilverCreek Dr. Minnow.
#4. Suspended Minnow Lure
Number 4 on the list is the suspended minnow.
I love suspended minnows, what they do is when you wind the lure they will dive down some depth, then suspend or hover around that same depth.
Some will sink slowly or slowly rise depending on the quality of the brand, fishing line weight and water salinity.
These are a very versatile lure.
How To Fish A Suspended Lure
You can hover them around and above weed beds, cover and structure.
You can slow wind them, pause then, burn them in, jerk them fast or use slow twitches or a combination of jerks and pauses.
For hot water conditions, when the trout don’t feel like actively feeding, you can fish them very slowly and try to keep them in the strike zone.
Most brands have a suspended jerkbait of some sort.
I don’t have any clear preference for brands here, but I like the Berkley Pro-Tech Jerk suspended minnow and the Daiwa Double Clutch Minnow are good.
The Daiwa Double Clutch Minnow has a big range of colors and different lengths to suit your conditions and it has a great lure action.
I like the 60 mm and 75 mm sizes for trout. The 60 mm will dive to around 1.3 m deep, while the 75 mm will dive around 1.5 m deep
This suspended minnow was nearly my number one on my list but not quiet. As most of the shorter size minnows are very light and don’t cast as far as a spoon to cover water.
A suspended minnow around the length from a small 40 mm, 50, 60 mm all the way up to 75mm are effective for catching trout.
#3. Tasmanian Devil Lure
Number 3. on the list out of The Top Trout Lures is the Tasmanian Devil Lure. Or Tassie Devil as they are affectionately known as.
This is a winged type lure and has a side to side wobble action, it has a similar type of action to a spoon lure.
I will use this lure as a searching lure as you can cast it a mile with its heavy weight.
Even though it is a heavy lure, it flutters down slowly and you can get some takes on the drop.
Despite the heavy weight, you can use it for relatively shallow waters, if you lift your rod up high.
It comes in a few sizes and dozens and dozens of colors.
For rough and windy conditions and colored water I use the medium 13.5 gram size lure.
For calmer waters and / or clear waters I use the 7 gram size Tassie Devil, which still casts a long way.
For evenings and low light conditions, I like the licorice all sorts color which has great contrast.
When fishing at night I go with the black for a solid silhouette.
For murky waters a white, metallic or chartreuse color.
In clear water the Spotted Rainbow color is my favorite and I have caught plenty of fish on it.
The Positives
The Tassie Devil lure is great value and comes in a lot of colors for the angler.
You can swap out the treble hooks for a single or double hook in weedy areas.
The Negatives
Although you can wind, then stop winding and let them sink, they don’t cover deep water well.
Having said that you can get a heavier 20 gram model, which is designed to be trolling them from a boat and you can use them with a down rigger.
#2. OSP Bent Minnow
Coming in at number 2 on my list is the OSP Bent Minnow.
The bent minnow is a floating jerkbait type of lure with a bend in it. Hence the name.
I classify this as a topwater lure, however depending how you fish it, it can dive around a foot or so below the surface when retrieving it and has an erratic action.
Fishing these lures can be very exciting as the fish can come to the top and smash them.
There are a dozen ways you can fish this lure.
You can use fast long jerks, or jerks and pauses, slow twitches and long pauses. You can wind it with a fast burn, or a slow roll, or use a combination of retrieves.
When you stop winding it, it will float back to the surface. A lot of times we have caught fish on the pause.
I like to fish it more aggressively and faster in rougher conditions to give it more splash and movement.
For calmer days, I fish it slower and with longer pauses.
The OSP bent Minnow comes in a few sizes, with the 76 mm and 86 mm being ideal for trout.
This lure is best fished in early morning, late evening, or at night time.
You can fish it effectively during the middle of the day, but ideally you want overcast, cloudy days with some ripples or waves on the water.
I wouldn’t use it for calm water and sunny blue sky days, as generally the trout will be deeper.
There are always exceptions, and I have seen it catch fish on sunny days on calm water, but like most topwater lures you want the fish or trout feeding close to the top. Which is normally on overcast days, some wind or ripples or low light for trout.
This lure is great for searching shallow bays in early mornings and evenings Also it is effective along weed beds or above them.
I like the 76mm for calmer conditions and the bigger 86mm for rougher, windier conditions.
This 86 mm lure is probably my son’s favorite lure, and he outfishess me with the Moebi color and bigger size.
The Positives Of The Lure
As it is a surface or slight sub surface lure, it avoids a lot of snags and weeds. You can fish it slowly on top, or extremely fast.
The drawback of the OSP bent minnow is that it is expensive. However, because it is a top water lure, you don’t get too many snags and lose them. Unless you cast it into a tree.
One alternative to the OSP bent minnow is the Berkley Bended minnow in the 76 mm size.
For more alternatives, click on the link to – Alternatives To The OSP Bent Minnow
Important Fishing Tips
Before we get to my number 1 top lure choice for trout, let’s talk about a few important points first.
Before we even think about lure colors, or even lure type, think about where the fish might be.
Which often is where the ideal water temperature, oxygen levels and some type of structure or cover for the fish, with food close by.
Look for weed beds, submerged timber, rocky outcrops, channels and drop offs, river bends and undercuts, points, inflows and outflows, man made structures like piers and dam walls, etc.
Most times, food like baitfish and aquatic insects will be around these structures as well.
Fish are similar to humans’ needs, in that they like comfort, protection and also food close by.
If you don’t see any trout feeding on top, use a lure to go deeper in the water column. Or use a soft plastic close to the bottom.
Don’t get too hung up on colors, keep it simple. Water clarity and available light will change the way the lure color looks trout anyway.
You might have a natural color for clear waters and some colors for slightly dirty and murky waters.
For murky waters, go with a bigger profile and something with a lot of vibration, like an inline spinner, or bigger jerk bait or crank bait with rattles.
For calm waters, very clear waters with a lot of fishing pressure, go to a smaller size lure. You might also go to a longer, thinner leader as well.
For evenings, mornings and at night, fish bays, as trout will come in shallow and close to the edges looking for food.
As trout and a lot of fish rely heavy on their senses like smell, so use some scent on the lure. Especially in dirty water.
Even if fish attractant helps the fish hold the lure for a split second longer in their mouth, it can help with the hook up rate.
#1. Mepps Aglia Inline Spinner
The number 1 lure on the list of the 10 best trout lures is the Mepps Aglia Inline Spinner
This is my favorite lure for trout.
How the inline spinner works is, the metal blade spins around the shaft and gives off flash and vibration and will catch trout.
How To Fish A Mepps Inline Spinner
I like to use the Mepps Aglia in a size 3 for lakes and reservoirs. It is a good lure to use for murky water conditions as the vibration attracts fish.
Fish these around structure and cover, like submerged timber, rock beds and parallel along weed beds.
For smaller ponds, places with heavy fishing pressure, rivers and streams or clear waters, use a smaller size 2 or even size 1.
I like the gold Mepps Aglia with dots. You can also get the Mepps Aglia E in chartreuse colors.
The Mepps Black Fury spinner is also great, but it doesn’t have as wide a blade.
The Positives Of The Lure
Another positive is a lot of other fish besides trout love these lures, like perch, salmon and bass.
The inline spinner because of the vibration and flash is good for fishing dirty water.
The Negatives.
The Mepps Aglia isn’t an over heavy lure, an okay weight, but it won’t cast a mile and that is why I don’t normally use it for a searching lure first up.
Another drawback is the spinning blade helps them plane up when retrieving them. So they don’t get down very deep.
But, you can stop winding and let it sink to get deeper down.
Alternatively, you can get the Mepps Aglia LongCast which weighs 12 grams in the size 3 and is better suited for deeper waters.
The Mepps Aglia LongCast in size #2 is a good balance of weight for casting, but also size.
Alternative brands to the Mepps are Celta Lures, Bluefox Lures and the Wordens Rooster Tails spinners are also good. But I like the wide blade of the Mepps Aglia works well and you can feel the rod tip vibrating and the lure working.
When the fishing gets tough, I will put a Mepps Aglia inline spinner on, as it is my confidence lure.
Here is a fishing video below of the 10 top fishing lures.
Conclusion
You don’t have to have every type of lure listed here, but try and have some lures for different water conditions, like murky and clear water, deep and shallow water depths, etc.
I hope you enjoyed the 10 Best Trout Lures For Fishing and thank you for visiting OutdoorsGap.com.
