How does the rain effect trout?

[NKlamerus]

Growing up in Florida, the best time to fish was right before a storm (pressure change) or right after.

I've caught all of my biggest largemouth right after a rain with a topwater frog.

Do trout react the same? I would assume the changing barometric pressure fires them up, but do they know to forage after the rain?

On a side note, the second best time to fish golf course ponds was when they are mowing them. The fish knew the shredding's are full of frogs, bugs, and snakes.

I fished Alton Baker for almost an hour with no luck!

 

[troutdude]

I've always encountered lock-jaw when a changing pressure shelf rolls in. Then the buggers take 3 or 4 days to adjust and get their bearings. Before they get active again.

 

[BrandonBeach]

Agree with Troutdude.

And:
a lot of generalizations here.

In streams, a water level change ( rain caused ) of any significance will change trout behavior.
They may change depths or location. Also could affect what they are looking to feed on.
Water clarity may change enough to affect feeding. a little color good, low visibility bad.
A big rain could lower ( or raise ) water temp, either way, this could be a good or bad thing.

Lakes are a different game, any major pressure change will affect trout. I have seen bites shut off completely when a front blows through. Sometimes it will slowly change for the good, other times ( Like Trout dude said ) lock jaw, you might as well go home and catch up on ”honeydoos” or imbibe and watch sports.

The main thing here, Go Fish!
If they are biting, GREAT! If not, oh well, it’s always good to get outa house.

good luck

BB

 

[EOBOY]

Any drop of the barometer affects still water (ponds and lakes) below 29 will shut the trout down.

 

[bass]

I am similar in opinion to what everyone has said but I think there is another aspect to it. I believe it causes them to become pretty negative in terms of aggressiveness but I think it also causes fish (based on bass, trout and panfish observations) to school up very tightly. Thus, the fish are not aggressive plus there is more empty water.

For me post-frontal days are the worst but I did have the best day of my life on a severe post-frontal day in PA. I was fishing a small impoundment (less than 100 acres) for bass. I had not had a bite all day and was not too surprised. I pulled up on this one spot that was a sharp outside corner of a thick hydrilla bed with a big log right at the edge. I was fishing a Carolina rig very slowly and it was like every fish in the lake was on that spot. I was sitting there anchored up fishing that spot and I caught 5 bass over 5lbs off of that one little spot. A 5lb bass in PA is as rare there as it is here.

Eventually, that bite shut down and I did not get a single nibble anywhere else in the lake. I fished that same spot dozens of times before and after that day and it usually produced a couple of fish but nothing like that one post-frontal day.

Similar for crappie fishing in NC. That is usually about as easy as it gets. Toss a jig under a bobber and catch fish after fish. Usually when you find a school it is loosely scattered over a huge area. In post-frontal conditions they bit softer and would be tightly clumped. You had to cast to just the right spot to get a bite.

Harder for me to tell with trout but I believe the same to be true.

 

[NKlamerus]

So how does it work in the winter? When it's raining for months on end? They still have to eat and I would imagine that drives it?

 

[bass]

In my experience it is the rapid drop in barometric pressure during the passing of a cold front that kills fishing. Stable barometric pressure is good for fishing. The rain we get in the winter is not associated with a cold front passing through, it occurs during stable barometric conditions and thus does not cause a lockjaw condition. The rain will have an impact in terms of whether there is enough to cloud the water or cool the temp. Cold, murky water is tough fishing (except for sturgeon).

 

[NKlamerus]

Well it's going to be on and off tomorrow, with the warm front I might try for some bass.

If not, trout at Alton Baker again