The Best Brown Trout Guides

Our Damn Good Guides currently offer 106 brown trout trips, and the most popular trips are Full Day or Half Day Guided Trip guided by Chris, Guadalupe River Drift guided by Kevin, and North Carolina Wade Trip guided by Doug.

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River fishing is the most popular for brown trout as well as lake fishing, nearshore fishing, and deep sea fishing.

The most common fishing techniques are fly fishing, wading, and light tackle fishing but drift fishing and trolling are popular as well.

for brown trout prices can range anywhere from $100 to $3,000 and up, but the average price for a half day for brown trout is $474. The average price for a full day for brown trout is $1,355.

The most popular season for brown trout fishing is summer, and most anglers book their trips 58 days in advance.

See here for more information on brown trout fishing licenses, brown trout bag limits, and fishing season regulations for brown trout. When in doubt, your fishing guide will always know the right brown trout rules and regulations.

The brown trout (Salmo trutta) is a diverse species of salmonid native to Europe and Asia, that has been introduced globally and flourished in all other continents except Antarctica. Morphs of the species have expanded across multiple ecosystems including rivers, lakes, and oceans, some even migrating between them. Lake trout, for example, are potamodromous, meaning they migrate from lakes to rivers or streams to spawn, whereas sea trout are anadromous, meaning they will migrate from oceans to freshwater.

Due to the multiple morphs and environments inhabited by brown trout, their appearance will vary. Freshwater brown trout will range from coloring that is so silvery and lightly spotted, that they will be mistaken for rainbow trout, to the well-known brassy brown spotted top, that fades into a creamy white belly. There are also regional variants, such as the Loch Leven trout, found in Scotland, which can be identified by their larger fins, slimmer body, and heavy black spotting.

Although they have a large footing worldwide, brown trout are much less plentiful than their cousins, the rainbow trout, though they do tend to live in the same cooler waters. Brown trout are also much tougher to catch than rainbow, making them a worthy prize to even the most skilled anglers. These exceptional game properties were actually the driver to introduce them into so many environments across the world.

Brown trout are a medium-sized fish that vary greatly in size according to their environment. In some rare cases they can grow to over 40 pounds and 20 inches long. However in smaller rivers, they can weigh less than 2.2 pounds. An average brown trout is around 2 to 10 pounds, and between 12 and 14 inches long.

In 2013, the world record brown trout was caught in New Zealand. The International Game Fish Association (IGFA) recognizes Otwin Kandolf as the record holder after he landed a 42-pound, 1-ounce behemoth on a rod and reel.

Previously, the record was held by an Arkansas man, who in May of 1992 caught a 40 pounder out of the Little Red River, a tributary of the White River.

Although brown trout can be found worldwide, from the oceans, to the Great Lakes, they are most commonly found in streams and rivers. Some of the best streams to rope your personal record fish are in Colorado, Montana, and Ontario, among other places. They are also strong in numbers in places they have been introduced to such as New Zealand and Argentina.

Brown trout are a finicky fish who are difficult to catch. Once you’ve found them in one location, you will not see them there again! The best time to target them is early in the morning or right at dusk, when you can fish shadows of overhanging structures.

Brown trout can be caught year round, though the time of year will affect the areas of best fishing. In the summer, be sure to fish the deep holes at the base of rapids to avoid currents. Fall should be spent casting from a bar by a feeder creep where the browns will be migrating for their spawn. Finally, in the winter you’ll need to follow the water flow to where they can be found in oxygen-rich dam trails.

As early as 1496, anglers have been tested by the challenges of brown trout, who were mentioned in literature at the time as a “right dainty fish.” They can be caught on light spinning tackle, with spoons, spinners, plugs, and jerkbaits when using careful casting. These lures should be the color of the local forage, what the browns will typically be feeding on. This can include common insects, frogs, and mice, as well as patterns of baby trout that the fish will predate. Live bait is also a possibility, with nightcrawlers being the best option.

Fly fishing is the most popular choice of anglers targeting brown trout. There are two recommended tactics for big browns on the fly. One would be to sight fish from the bank using small nymphs. The other is to cast large articulated flies, like streamers.

In rivers, brown trout will hide out near structures or holes where they have easy access to prey going by. Lakes and oceans can be a bit trickier as they will spread out to feed, but the time of year and local knowledge will give you some clues where to start.

Browns are typically caught and released, but if kept they are delicious to eat. They are the only truly wild freshwater fish available to most consumers, as most salmon are farmed, and farmed trout are typically rainbows. This makes them quite a delicacy, free range, and organic. As carnivores, they have a meaty flesh rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, with a strong fishy flavor.

Typically the smaller the fish, less than two pounds, are the best for eating. It is recommended to soak the filets in milk overnight to pull some of the oil and overly-fishy taste from the flesh. They can then be cooked in a multitude of ways. The most traditional is to grill them over a fire, flayed, after lightly seasoning them with salt, pepper, and lemon juice.