Trout Fishing on Windy Days (Complete Guide)

Heavy winds can make trout fishing much more difficult. Knowing how to adjust your fishing techniques in the face of strong winds can help you catch more trout.

Trout tend to feed near the surface in windy conditions, so using floating lures such as dry flies, poppers, and small streamers can be effective. Cast into the wind to prevent your line from being blown off course and to present your lure naturally to the fish.

In this article, I will explain the importance of bait selection and location in trout fishing, regardless of whether the wind is calm or storm-grade.

Locating Trout on Windy Days

When it’s windy, the water on the surface of the lake or river gets all churned up. This can make it hard for the fish to see your bait, so they swim deeper. You might need a heavier lure or sinker to get your bait to where the fish are.

Look for areas of the lake or river where the wind blows into the shore. This can create a “windbreak,” where the water is calmer, and the fish are likely to hang out. You might also want to look for areas where the wind blows parallel to the shore, as this can create a current that the fish like to swim in.

Thirdly, try fishing in areas where the water is deeper. The wind can create a lot of waves and ripples on the surface, but the deeper water tends to be more still. This is where the fish are more likely to be.

Check out this link here to view my complete trout fishing gear recommendation list, including rods, reels, baits, gear, etc. I have field tested a lot of trout gear and these are my recommendations.

Trout Fishing in Windy Conditions

Wind can create ripples and waves in the water, making it harder for trout to see and catch your bait or lure. Additionally, the wind can blow your line around, making it harder to cast accurately.

However, adapting to the conditions and trying different techniques to catch more trout is important. This could mean using different baits or lures, adjusting your casting technique, or finding areas of the water where the wind isn’t as strong.

Impact of Wind Direction on Trout Fishing

When the wind blows across a body of water, it can create currents and move food sources like insects, impacting where trout swim and feed. For example, if the wind is blowing from the west, trout may move to the east side of the water, where the current is more likely to carry food.

When fishing in different wind directions, it’s important to adjust your techniques accordingly. When the wind is blowing towards you, casting your line can be more difficult, so using heavier lures or live bait can help. When the wind is blowing away from you, you can cast lighter lures or use a fly rod to help your line move more naturally with the wind.

When the wind blows parallel to the shoreline, casting your line parallel to the shore can be a good technique. When the wind blows perpendicular to the shoreline, casting your line towards the wind can help your bait or lure move more naturally in the water.

Species Breakdown: Windy Conditions

Rainbow Trout/Brown Trout

Windy conditions can make fly fishing for rainbow and brown trout more challenging, as the wind can affect the accuracy of your casts and the presentation of your fly.

One good technique for fly fishing in windy conditions for rainbow and brown trout is using a heavier fly, such as a streamer, to cut through the wind more easily. Another option is a sinking line, which can help your fly get to where the fish are despite the wind.

For presentation, it can be helpful to cast towards the wind and let the wind help move your fly through the water. Additionally, a slow and steady retrieve can be effective in windy conditions.

Regarding specific flies, woolly buggers, leeches, and sculpins can be effective for rainbow and brown trout in windy conditions. These flies imitate the movement of baitfish and can be more easily seen by the fish in choppy water.

Adjusting your techniques based on the wind conditions can help you catch more fish. So, when fly fishing for rainbow and brown trout in windy conditions, try using a heavier fly, a sinking line, and adjust your presentation to take advantage of the wind.

Steelhead (Sea or Lake Run Rainbow Trout)

One good technique for fly fishing in windy steelhead conditions is using a heavier fly, such as a streamer or a weighted nymph, that can cut through the wind more easily. Another option is a sinking line, which can help your fly get to where the fish are despite the wind.

For presentation, it can be helpful to cast towards the wind and let the wind help move your fly through the water. Additionally, a slow and steady retrieve can be effective in windy conditions.

Regarding specific flies, woolly buggers, egg patterns, and stonefly nymphs can be effective for steelhead in windy conditions. These flies imitate the movement of prey and can be more easily seen by the fish in choppy water.

Brook Trout

Windy conditions can make fly fishing for brook trout more challenging, as the wind can affect the accuracy of your casts and the presentation of your fly.

One good technique is to use a heavier fly, such as a streamer or a weighted nymph, that can cut through the wind more easily. Another option is to use a shorter leader and a heavier tippet, which can help your fly turn over more quickly and accurately.

For presentation, it can be helpful to cast towards the wind and let the wind help move your fly through the water. Additionally, using a fast and erratic retrieve can be effective in windy conditions, as it can imitate the movements of prey that the wind has stirred up.

Regarding specific flies, woolly buggers, beadhead nymphs, and stimulators can be effective for brook trout in windy conditions. These flies imitate the movement of prey and can be more easily seen by the fish in choppy water.

Click here to learn the best water temperature for trout.

Lake Trout

The wind can cause waves that make it hard to control your boat and cast your line. One option is to use heavier lures that can cut through the wind, like jigs or spoons. Another option is to troll, which means moving your boat slowly while dragging your lure behind it. This can help you cover more ground and find where the fish are hiding.

Try varying your retrieval speed and depth for your presentation until you find what works best for the day. And remember lake trout like to hang out in deeper, colder water, so try fishing in those areas if you can.

Cold Wind vs. Warm Wind

In cold weather, wind can make the water colder and more difficult to fish. Bass may move to deeper water or areas with less current. One good way to catch them is to use slow-moving lures, like a jig or a worm, with a light line (6-8 pound test). You can also try using live bait, like minnows or shad.

In warm weather, wind can create choppy water, making it easier to spot bass. Crankbaits work great in these conditions. One good crankbait to try is the Strike King KVD Square Bill. You can also try using a spinnerbait and retrieving it quickly through the water.

How Windy Are We Talking About?

1-5 mph

When the wind is light, it can be a great time to fish for trout because they tend to move around more in the water. However, you may have to adjust your technique a bit.

You can use a variety of baits for drift fishing, such as worms, salmon eggs, or PowerBait. One great lure to try is the Rooster Tail spinner. This lure comes in different sizes and colors, but a good size is 1/8 or 1/16 ounce. A good color to use in light winds is silver or gold.

Trolling works well in light wind conditions. A small crankbait, like the Rebel Wee Crawfish, is a good lure for trolling in light winds. This lure comes in different colors, but a good one to try in light winds is a natural-looking color, like brown or green.

Remember, when fishing for trout in light winds, you want to use light line (4-6 pound test) and small hooks (size 10 or 12). This will help your bait or lure move more naturally in the water, increasing your chances of catching a fish.

So, to sum it up, when fishing for trout in 1-5 mph winds, try drift fishing with baits like worms or PowerBait, and use a Rooster Tail spinner in silver or gold. In natural-looking colors, you can also try trolling with a small crankbait, like the Rebel Wee Crawfish.

6-10 mph

When it’s windy like this, the water can get choppy and be harder to spot the fish. But don’t worry, there are still ways to catch trout. You can use lures like small spoons, such as the Mepps Aglia Spinner in silver or gold, or weighted flies like the Pheasant Tail Nymph. Light line (4-6 pound test) and small hooks (size 10 or 12) can help your bait or lure move more naturally in the water and increase your chances of catching a fish.

So when you’re out on the water, try casting your lure or bait out and retrieving it slowly through the water. Or, you can let a weighted fly sink to the bottom and wait for a trout to take the bait. Remember to be patient and try different techniques until you find what works best for you.

When trout fishing in 6-10 mph winds, using the right lures and gear can make all the difference.

11-15 mph

The water’s surface might be choppy when it’s a little windy like this, but it shouldn’t be too bad. The fish can still see your bait or lure pretty well, so you can use whatever you normally use. A good option is a small spinner or crankbait in a natural color like brown or green.

The wind can create some current in the water, making the fish more active. You might want to try casting your lure upstream and letting it drift downstream with the current.

When it’s a little windy like this, the fish might be more likely to hang out near the shore or in areas with structure like rocks or fallen trees. You might want to try casting your lure close to these areas and see if you can get a bite.

16-25 mph

When it’s this windy, the water’s surface can get choppy. This can make it tough for the fish to see your bait or lure, so you might want to try using something bigger and brighter than you’d normally use. A good option is a spinner bait with a bright color like chartreuse or fluorescent orange.

The wind can push the fish around, making them harder to locate. You might want to try trolling your lure behind a boat or kayak to cover more ground and find where the fish are hanging out.

The water temperature can change a lot during windy weather, which can affect the fish’s behavior. You might want to try fishing in deeper water, where the temperature is more stable.

Over 26 mph

When it’s windy, the water’s surface will be choppy and rough. This can make it tough for the fish to see your bait or lure, so you might want to try using something bigger and brighter than you’d normally use. A good option is a spinner bait with a bright color like chartreuse or fluorescent orange.

The wind can push the fish around, making them harder to locate. You might want to try trolling your lure behind a boat or kayak to cover more ground and find where the fish are hanging out.

The water temperature can change a lot during windy weather, which can affect the fish’s behavior. You might want to try fishing in deeper water, where the temperature is more stable.

Finally, remember to be patient and persistent. Trout fishing can be tough on a good day, and when it’s windy, it can be even tougher. But if you keep trying different techniques and lures, you will eventually catch some fish.

Trout Fishing Gear for Windy Fishing

You’ll want to use a thin fishing line with low memory, like a monofilament or fluorocarbon line. You’ll want a longer rod with a fast action for fly rods to help you cast further and cut through the wind.

As for flies, weighted nymphs and streamers work well in windy conditions because they sink quickly and stay in the strike zone longer. It’s also a good idea to use a heavier leader to help your flies sink and maintain control in the wind.

Best Lures & Techniques for Windy Conditions

For example, spinners and spoons can work well in windy conditions because they create a lot of flash and vibration to attract fish. Some good options include Mepps Aglia spinners in sizes 1-3 and silver or gold colors, or Blue Fox Vibrax spinners in sizes 1-3 and silver or gold.

Another good option is crankbaits, which can mimic the look and movement of a baitfish in the water. Some effective crankbaits for trout in windy conditions include Rapala Original Floating Minnows in sizes 5-7 and silver or gold colors or Rebel Tracdown Minnows in sizes 3-5 and silver or gold colors.

To fish these lures effectively in windy conditions, it’s important to cast into the wind so the lure will travel farther and deeper into the water.

You may also want to vary your retrieve speed or try different retrieves, such as a steady or stop-and-go retrieve until you find what the fish are responding to.

In terms of adapting your approach based on wind conditions, it’s important to pay attention to the direction and strength of the wind. If the wind is blowing towards a certain shoreline or structure, that can create a current that will carry food and baitfish toward that area, making it a good spot to target.

On the other hand, if the wind is blowing too strongly, it may be difficult to cast or control your lure, so you may want to fish in more sheltered areas or switch to a heavier lure to help you cast more easily.

Safety Considerations When Fishing in Windy Conditions

When fishing in windy conditions, safety is really important. You should always wear a life jacket or PFD and be aware of your surroundings. Ensure you know how to operate your boat and watch the weather forecast closely.

Letting someone know where you’re going and when you plan to return is also a good idea. If the winds are strong, staying off the water is best until conditions improve. Finally, be mindful of waves and keep a low center of gravity in the boat to avoid tipping over.

For a complete breakdown of bass fishing in windy conditions, check out this guide. For a complete breakdown of pike fishing in windy conditions, check out this guide. For a complete breakdown of crappie fishing in windy conditions, check out this guide. For a complete breakdown of carp fishing in windy conditions, check out this guide. Click here to see the best water temperature for brow trout fishing. Click here to see the best water temperature for rainbow trout. Click here to see the best water temperature for brook trout.