The Trout Season is Here! Best Spots & Tactics for an Epic Catch

April marks the arrival of trout season, and anglers across Canada and the U.S. are gearing up for the thrill of the catch. Whether you're casting in the crystal-clear lakes of British Columbia or the legendary streams of Pennsylvania, now’s the time to grab your gear and hit the water.

Fishing the Wild West TV

Top Trout Fishing Spots in Canada & the USA

Canada:

British Columbia - Hands down the best overall trout fishery. British Columbia is widely considered the best trout fishing province in Canada due to its incredible diversity, abundance, and year-round opportunities. It offers world-class stillwater fisheries in the Interior (Kamloops, Cariboo, and Kootenays) with massive rainbow trout, especially the famous Gerrard strain - the largest in the world. BC has something for every trout angler - whether you're a dry fly purist, a backcountry explorer, or a trolling enthusiast.
- Skeena River: Home to massive steelhead trout, this is a must-visit for serious anglers.
- BC Interior: This is renowned for its world-class trout fisheries and is known for big fish, beautiful scenery, and good access. The common trout species include rainbow trout, bull trout, and Dolly Varden, along with Westslope cutthroat trout in certain areas.
- Cariboo Region: This is an underrated gem for trout fishing—tons of productive lakes, less pressure than the Kamloops area, and some truly big fish. This multi-species region offers year-round fishing (including ice fishing). Anglers can target rainbow trout, lake trout, brook trout, bull trout, and kokanee as a bonus, with rainbow trout being particularly prevalent and stocked with various strains.
- Kootenay Region: This area is a goldmine for trout anglers—with massive lakes, alpine streams, and a chance to hook Gerrard rainbows, bull trout, lake trout, brook trout, bull trout, cutthroat and kokanee as a bonus. These waters have some of the most diverse and unique trout populations in the province because of its mix of glacial lakes, mountain streams, and major river systems. It's home to both wild native species and stocked trout.
- Peace River Region: located northeastern BC is rugged, remote, and less fished than southern areas—but it offers some surprisingly great trout (and char) fishing if you’re willing to travel a bit. You won’t find as many stocked lakes, but there are some excellent wild fisheries in rivers, lakes, and alpine zones. Abundant amounts of these trout can be found: rainbow trout, lake trout, cutthroat trout, bull trout, and arctic grayling as a bonus.
- BC’s Vancouver Island and Lower Mainland regions have a diverse mix of native and stocked trout species, plus anadromous (sea-run) trout like steelhead and coastal cutthroat. THese regions don’t have the massive stillwater fisheries like the Interior, but they offer year-round trout fishing in rivers, lakes, and even urban ponds—plus epic scenery and sea-run opportunities. You’ll come across Rainbow trout, Coastal Cutthroat, Steelhead, Brown Trout, Cutbow, Brook Trout and Dolly Vardens.
Alberta – Bow River: Flowing through Calgary, this river is famous for its trophy-sized brown and rainbow trout.
Newfoundland & Labrador: some of the best wild brook trout fishing on the planet. The province is home to massive native brook trout—often weighing 5 to 8 pounds or more—in remote rivers, lakes, and backcountry systems. It’s also one of the few places where you can target sea-run brook trout, which migrate between saltwater and freshwater.
Ontario – Algonquin Park: A dream spot for brook trout, offering stunning scenery and incredible fishing. Splake, lake trout, stocked rainbows can be found in a number of areas.
Quebec: Strong brook trout (aka "speckled trout") fishing, especially in the north. Mistassini Lake is a hidden gem for giant speckled trout.
Yukon & NWT: Great for big lake trout, arctic char, and grayling in pure wilderness
Manitoba: Trophy brook, lake trout, and splake in cold, remote lakes

USA

Montana – Madison River: Known as the “50-mile riffle,” it’s perfect for fly fishing.
Colorado – Fryingpan River: Clear waters and huge trout make this a top choice.
Pennsylvania – Spring Creek: A haven for wild brown trout, with easy accessibility.
orth Carolina – Davidson River: Consistently ranked as one of the best trout fisheries in the U.S

Best Lures for Trout Fishing

To maximize your chances of landing a trophy trout, using the right lure is key. Lucky Bug Lures offers some of the best baits for trout fishing:

Bingo Bug – All Purpose Trout Kit: The Bingo Bug stands out as the ultimate lure for targeting trout, thanks to its unique handmade design and life-like action that sends vibrating distress signals through the water—something trout simply can’t resist. These versatile hybrid lures can be used as a fly or traditional lure, whether you're casting or trolling. With over 60 different patterns and 3 sizes to choose from, there's a perfect Bingo Bug for every fishing condition. Trout consistently strike Bingo Bugs in all types of water, from lakes to streams and rivers, making it the go-to choice for serious anglers.
Lucky Plug – All PurposeTrout Kit: This plug has a wild, erratic action with sharp, darting moves that can shoot side to side up to three or four feet—perfect for triggering strikes from predators, even if they’re not really hungry. You can use it for casting or trolling, and it comes with both single and treble hook options. The big 3D eyes and super bright colors make it even more eye-catching, which helps a ton when you’re going after trout.
Fusion Extreme – All Purpose Trout Kit: Designed with vibrant, erratic darting action, this crankbait triggers aggressive reaction strikes. It combines the erratic movements of the Bingo Bug and the dynamic action of the Lucky Plug, making it irresistible to trout. The lure includes two hook locations and comes with both treble and single hooks for versatile presentations.
F-Bomb – All Purpose Trout Kit: Our F-Bomb floating lure is built to turn heads—whether you’re twitching it on the surface, running it shallow, adding a split shot for mid-depths, or dragging it along the bottom with a three-way swivel or bottom bouncer. With its wounded minnow action and loud rattle, it gets trout of all kinds to bite even, when they’re not in the mood.
Zombie Maxx – All Purpose Trout Kit: This slow-sinking glide/swim bait features an eight-jointed body that creates ultra-realistic swimming action. Its weight-forward design allows for versatile control, making it effective for trolling, casting, or jigging. The durable nylon joints can also retain scents, enhancing its attraction to predatory fish like trout, including Lakers, Rainbows, Brook and Cutthroat.

Each of these lures uses Lucky Bugs’ exclusive Trimaxx Technology—a 3-stage system combining vibrations to trigger feeding, bright graphics for visual attraction, and erratic movements to create random direction changes—all aimed at putting more fish on your line.

By selecting the best Lucky Bug Lure for your targeted fishery and your area and using effective angling techniques, you're well on your way to a successful and enjoyable trout-fishing season.

Get Ready for an Amazing Season!

Spring is the prime time for trout fishing, so don’t miss your chance to land a beauty! Make sure you’re stocked up on Lucky Bug Lures and get out on the water for an unforgettable season.