There are a lot of variables that you have to consider when fishing, and trout fishing is no exception. If you want to make sure you can make the catch, you have to be prepared and do everything you can to ensure the circumstances are in your favor when you fish.
Poor conditions have plagued many anglers for years. If you fish for trout, you may be wondering how your chances of making a catch will be affected if it has rained recently in your area.
Today, we’ll take an in-depth look at how rain affects trout during and after showers, as it will help you understand their dynamics with this weather condition. However, to ensure everyone is on the same page, let’s take a broader look at how fish are affected by the weather.
Yes, trout fishing is excellent after rain or even during rain. Rain darkens the water and floods it with oxygen. It also flushes insects and other food sources from the bank into the water.
How are fish affected by the weather?
Understanding how weather affects marine life will help you become a better fisher for trout and other fish. Contrary to what you might think, clear weather is usually one of the worst times to fish because the water will be clear, and predators will be able to see the fish.
Fish aren’t stupid, and they know that their survival depends on being visible, so when it rains, and the water gets murky, they will be much more likely to come out and feed. Even though the murky water may prevent you from seeing the fish, there will be more of them, which improves your chances of making a catch.
Another thing to consider is that it is usually warmer on more excellent days, which warms the water. When the water gets warm, the amount of oxygen readily available in the water decreases, which slows down fish and makes them less likely to leave their cover to find prey (or your bait).
How do different types of rain affect trout?
Cold rain
Fishing after a cold rain is almost always a good idea because if the water is cooler, it will contain more oxygen. The extra oxygen in the water will make the trout more active, and they will be ready to seek out potential meals, including the hooks of any enterprising angler.
More fish feeding means you’ll have a better chance of catching something, but it will also make your lures less visible. This means that bright, colorful lures will be less effective because the fish will have less chance to see them before they hit them.
Keep in mind that if the cold rain continues for a few days, your chances of making a catch may be reduced. This is because the river will start to swell, and visibility will become too low for the trout to find their prey in the first place, discouraging them from feeding.
Heavy rain
Heavy rains provide some of the best fishing possible, but you’ll want to make sure you wait until it’s over. Fishing in heavy rain can be dangerous, and we’ll discuss the dangers later in this guide. However, if you can get to your fishing spot just after the rain ends, you will have excellent results.
When heavy rains begin to fall, they wash insects and other food sources off the banks into the water. This causes a feeding frenzy in which the water swells with fish, and if the rain is heavy enough, this can continue until the rain ends.
If you’re looking for the right bait after heavy rain, you’ll usually want to try worms. The fish will look for them and be more likely to bite if they see a worm rather than a lure.
Drizzle
The pros of a drizzle are that you can get out and start fishing while it’s still raining, provided you’re aware of the risks and experienced enough to handle it. However, fishing after a drizzle will be less effective than the other two types of rain because of the less extreme effects.
Because the light rain will not fall as hard, it will be less likely to push other food sources into the water, nor will it make the stream murky. This means that fish will have less reason to leave their shelter, although some adventurous trout may still try to find food.
Other pros to light rain are that most anglers will stay home, so you’ll have much more water. This can make for a more relaxing fishing experience, but it also means you’ll have a better chance of catching fish because there won’t be anyone around to bother them.
Use the tips I share in this article to determine if it will rain near you. That is if you don’t trust your local weatherman.
The best lures for trout fishing after rain
Streamers
Streamers are one of the best for trout anglers, especially after recent rain. You’ll usually want to use one of these types of lures if nymphs aren’t working for you, as they’ll be a bit more reliable in murky water, but you’ll need to choose the right type of streamer.
The best time to use a streamer is when the water gets a little color. You’ll want to use the first type of streamer, olive or brown because you don’t always need extreme or reflective colors. However, if you’ve noticed the water is particularly murky, you’ll want to choose brighter coils.
Those that are reflective and colored will work best when the water is murky, but if it gets to a point where visibility is close to zero, they will start to lose their effectiveness again.
Dry flies
When you fish in the rain, you are usually dealing with fish that have risen to be able to feed, so a dry fly can often give you the results you are looking for. This is because they will usually eat insects and other types of prey that resemble dry flies, which improves their usefulness.
Of course, choosing the correct pattern depends on the weather you’re dealing with. If you want a versatile set of dry flies, we recommend getting your hands on an assortment kit.
Nymphs
If you’re fishing after the rain, a nymph rig can usually give you the results you’re looking for. You first need to determine what type of prey the fish are feeding on, then match your nymphs to the prey for the best results.
While bright nymphs are designed to entice a fish to attack, you’ll mostly want to stick with patterns that are as natural as possible.
Spinners
If you’re fishing near the end of the rain and still have to deal with some drizzle, you may find that spinners can do the job for you. You’ll generally want to choose a larger lure if you need to cast far and the water is more profound, while smaller ones are better for short, shallow casts.
Of course, spinners require a more skillful touch than other types of lures, so you’ll need to be a skilled angler to get the most out of one. Of course, spinners are very situational, so this will be the least commonly used of the above options.
Safety Tips
If you want your fishing trip to be as safe as possible, you should always wait until the rain has completely stopped before deciding to go out. Sometimes the rain looks like it’s about to stop and then comes back with thunder and lightning, which is extremely dangerous.
In addition to getting caught in a thunderstorm, there are other dangers to fishing shortly after the rain. You’ll always have to be careful where you walk to ensure you don’t slip on a slippery rock. Also, dress in warm clothes, as the rain can make you cold much faster.
Conclusion
We hope we were able to give you the tips you need to fish for trout soon after the rain. Thank you for taking the time to read this guide, and we wish you good luck on your next fishing trip.