Put and Take Sverige
When rainbow trout take
Dawn and dusk are the best times for rainbow trout, when the water is coolest and the fish hunt for food. But the rule that beats all others in put and take is simple: freshly stocked fish can take at any time. If you know when the water stocks new fish you often have your best chance, whatever the clock says.
Best time of day
In most seasons it is the slanted light of dawn and dusk that gives most, with the coolest water and the most active fish. In the middle of the day it gets slower in heat, but fully possible in cool weather and in autumn. And the first days after a stocking the fish is unused to the water and often takes willingly, whatever the time. A good trick is therefore to ask the permit seller or the club when they usually stock, and put your trip just after.
Water temperature steers the activity
Temperature decides how lively the fish is, and it is really the only meter you need to watch:
| Water temperature | The situation |
|---|---|
| Under 6 °C | Sluggish, the fish eats little. Fish slowly and deep |
| 6–14 °C | The good range. Spring and autumn, active fish |
| 10–14 °C | Peak, rainbow trout most active |
| 20 °C and warmer | Slack fish, poorer recovery after playing |
When the water passes 20 degrees the activity moves to dawn, dusk and the coolest parts of the water. Then you fish early and late and look for oxygen at inlets and in the deep.
Weather that wakes the fishing
Cloudy, cool weather keeps the fish active longer than a clear, hot day, because the light is softer and the water stays cool. Wind that ruffles the surface adds oxygen and breaks mirror-flat water, so look for the windward side. After a warm, still spell a weather shift with cool air and a bit of wind can start sluggish fishing almost at once.
Reading the fish’s activity
Look for signs before you decide the tempo. If you see rises and fish moving in the surface, fish high and a bit faster. If the surface is dead, assume the fish stands deeper and count the bait down. Many blank hours are not the wrong fly or lure, but that the bait never reached the depth where the fish actually stood.
Adapt the method
When the fish is sluggish in the heat it pays to fish slower and deeper, more about that under summer fishing. The whole year sits in the season overview, and the species’ behaviour under rainbow trout.
FAQ
What time of day does rainbow trout take best?
Dawn and dusk are usually best, when the water is cool and the fish active. Freshly stocked fish can take at any time of day, though.
At which water temperature is rainbow trout most active?
Around 10–14 degrees. Above 20 degrees the fish goes slack and sluggish and recovers worse after playing.
Can I fish in the middle of the day?
Yes, especially in spring, autumn and in cool, overcast weather. It is mainly in the summer midday heat in the sun that the fishing gets really slow. Freshly stocked fish take regardless of the clock.
Does air pressure affect the fishing?
Many feel that a stable or rising pressure gives better fishing, and that the fishing can go sluggish just as the pressure falls before a weather shift. Water temperature and light are more important to go by, though.