Trout in Lakes?

[streamerguy]

Until yesterday, I never caught a trout in a lake. I've tried a bunch of times at differen't locations but I just couldn't get one in a lake for the life of me, fly or spin fishing.

My original plan was to just check out a few different creeks in the area, but while I was there(Two Mile Run) I figured I'll give it a few casts. I put on a small bugger w/ spilit shot about 5 feet or so under an indicator. I casted it out as far as I could and just stripped it in slowly. I ended up catching 3 rainbows, in relatively shallow water.

Usually when I hear about people fishing for trout in lakes they're fishing near the bottom in deeper water, but the fish I caught were in water probably no more than 4ft deep. There was a little creek coming in in that part of the lake, so maybe the fish were attracted to the warmer water? I might go back and check it out next weekend since it's supposed to get stocked again this week.

How do you guys go about fly fishing for trout in lakes?

 

[DuckButt]

I love fishing stillwater for trout. If there are no rising fish and i am prospecting for trout, i will run two flies. For picking low hanging fruit, I will run a bugger as the lead fly and drop either a flashback hares ear or another bugger off the back. This usually seems to get the active fish to hit. I retrieve them at various speeds and depths until i find where the fish are at. Colder water = slower speeds and warmer water = faster speeds. The countdown method seems to work really well for figuring out which depths the trout are hanging at. Also, if there is good cover (a brush pile or log), there is usually a fish hanging near it. If fish are rising, which they usually are at Lake Gosling where i fish, then i am throwing a fly that hangs in the film surface. A cdc emerger, RS2, parachute BWO or midge pupa usually cover all bases for me. Towards late May and June, i start using damsel fly nymphs. The nice thing about fly fishing for trout in lakes is that when all the local streams are high and muddy during the spring, stillwaters will always be fishable. Sink tips and poly leaders can help as well.

 

[dryflyguy]

A few of my most productive honeyholes, are right where a good, aquatically rich stream flows into the back end of a lake.
The fishing is a little different in these spots however. The trout will often cruise around, taking flys off the top as they go.
So, you have to watch them for a little while and anticipate where they're headed. Then cast the fly out where - hopefully - it will be intercepted by the fish
Lots of fun. But can be kinda frustrating when the fish veers off in another direction from where your fly landed.

 

[streamerguy]

Well, yesterday my brother and I went back out to the lake and caught a lot more! All stocked brookies this time and there were tons of them(just stocked recently). We were even able to see them cruising around in the shallow water. I was able to get a handfull on the fly using the same tactic I described above except for the split shot and the indicator, the water was much shallower than I thought. My brother also caught a bunch spinfishing and we ended the day with around 20 or so. I never used to do good in lakes for trout, but now 2 trips in a row catching multiple trout, I think I finally broke the learning curve! There were quite a few other guys fishing too in the small area we were in(kinda like opening day but less crowed), not my cup of tea, but they were all friendly people and overall it was a great time on the water!