How To Find And Catch Winter Trout

Winter has just about the opposite effect on the wanderings of trout as it does on bass and other warm-water game fish. I have mainly fished Lake Taneycomo in Missouri and the White River below Bull Shoals Lake in Arkansas during winter and have noticed rainbow and brown trout can be just about anywhere on those waters when it’s cold. Whereas warm-water game fish seek the warmth of deeper water in the colder months, winter trout can be found shallow and deep since all the water layers have about the same oxygen levels. This difference can make bass fishing and winter trout fishing two completely different worlds.The water temperature stays cold year-round on Taneycomo and the White River because the water comes from deep below Table Rock and Bull Shoals dams. The heat of summer causes decreased oxygen levels in the water flowing from the dams, which results in slow fishing for trout in the fall. However the cold of winter restores the oxygen levels in these waters and prompts brown trout to migrate towards the dam tailraces in search of gravel shoals for spawning.

Water flow from the dams determines where trout will go in the wintertime. Brown trout seem to prefer bigger rocks close to channel swings during the heaviest current as opposed to lighter riprap along banks. During heavy flow, I have caught rainbow trout in the current seams and behind current breaks such as boulders, islands and logs. I have also caught some rainbow trout on gravel flats jerking suspending stickbaits downstream with the current. When there is moderate flow from the dams, I have found trout cruising along the edges of weed beds and on the gravel bars above and below deep pools. I usually catch these cruisers shaking 1/16- or 1/8-ounce marabou jigs on spinning tackle.

When the water flow shuts down, trout cruise around the gravel flats. Any spot where the flat juts out into a long point is a prime target then. Switching to a jig-and float rig with a fly rod or spinning tackle works best for trout up on the flats. The no-flow periods are a great time to wade fish for trout in the dam tailraces. The best places to find winter trout in this narrow section of water are channel bends and any holes where a small stream flows into the main river. Fly-fishing with a scud fly below a strike indicator and shaking a marabou jig on spinning tackle are my favorite tactics for catching tailrace trout. If you're not a fly angler, try a casting bubble! They are a great tactic for throwing flies without having any of the fly fishing materials usually associated with the tactic.