Fishing for Brown Trout

Here are our top three places to fish for trophy-worthy brown trout in the United States:

Green River, Utah

Red soapstone canyons tower on either side of the Green River, making it one of the most breathtaking places in the U.S. to fish for brown trout.

The Green River is known for having one of the best tailwater fisheries in the U.S. Cast a line and you can hook brown, cutbow, cutthroat, hybrid, or rainbow trout. Artificial flies, fish-shaped lures, and spinnerbaits are excellent for catching brown trout.

Catching a trout shouldn’t be difficult, as the fish population is very dense. The A and B Sections of the Green River is packed with 10,000 fish per mile of river. But if you really want to reel in a plump brown trout, you have to head to Section C. The fish density drops in Section C, but that means less competition and more food for these prize-winning brown trout. The trout in the White River in Arkansas average around 13 inches in length, but Green River trout average 15 to 17 inches in length. A 29-pound trout, caught in 1996, currently holds the Green River record for the largest brown caught.

White River, Arkansas

White River brown trout usually weigh 5 to 10 pounds, but fish up to 20 pounds aren’t rare, and, with the right amount of skill and luck, you can catch a brown trout weighing up to 30 pounds.

Both shore and boat fishing are popular, and trophy trout have been reeled in by shore anglers.

You have a good chance of catching a trophy-sized fish in the White River, but don’t expect a 20-year-old brown trout to give up without a fight. Larger fish have learned to avoid anglers, and they’ll be wary of even the most convincing jerkbait.

Other fish that are found in the White River are smallmouth bass, cutthroat trout, flathead catfish, American shads, bull trout, lake sturgeon, and saugers.

Colorado River

The Colorado is an all-around great fishing spot for all species of trout, and it’s home to more than twenty freshwater fish species. The Colorado is primarily known for its striped bass and channel catfish, but largemouth bass, rainbow trout, black crappie, walleye, and brown trout also inhabit its pristine waters.

Frozen or live anchovies or sardines, wet and dry flies, streamers, and mouse lures are highly effective for catching browns, and early March to late November is the best time to catch fish of all species in the Colorado River.