Best Trout Bait - Top 5 Irresistible Trout Baits You Need to Try Today!
Artificial lures catch plenty of trout, but some of the best trout baits are live or fished like live bait. Here are five proven trout baits, the hook sizes to pair with them, and how to present each one.
Last updated: October 2026 · By: Nolan Pyle
Trout are an incredible species of fish — beautiful, strong fighters, and a sometimes very challenging adversary. Although artificial trout lures work very well for rainbow, brown, and brook trout, some of the best trout baits are live or are fished like live bait. Whether you're soaking dough for stocked trout in a pond or drifting eggs for wild fish in a stream, in this guide we'll showcase the top trout baits available and explain why you need to give all of them a shot on your next trout fishing outing.
Best Trout Bait
| Bait | Hook Size | Best Presentation | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| PowerBait Floating Trout Dough | #6–10 | Floated off the bottom | Stocked trout, long-distance scent |
| Salmon & Trout Eggs | #10–16 (single eggs) | Drifted with current; single eggs, sacs, or skein | Rivers and streams |
| PowerBait Glitter Trout Bait | Small live bait hook | Molded into larva or egg shapes, floated off bottom | Added flash and visibility |
| Live Grubs | #10–14 | Tipped on a hair jig or plain hook | Finicky, cold-water trout |
| Emerald Shiners | Small single hook or hair jig | Under a float | Bigger, predatory trout |
Best Overall Trout Bait: Berkley PowerBait Floating Trout Dough
Available in every color of the rainbow and then some, Berkley PowerBait Floating Trout Dough is undoubtedly one of the best baits for trout. It's heavily scented to attract trout from long distances, and it's buoyant so it can be floated off the bottom right in the strike zone. PowerBait is most effective when molded into a ball around a size 6 to 10 live bait hook, depending on the amount of dough used.
Best Natural Trout Bait: Salmon and Trout Eggs
During the spawn, trout and salmon release their eggs over shallow, gravelly areas in strong current. Some eggs don't settle into the bottom right away and drift downstream, becoming an easy meal for a lucky trout. These eggs are a healthy, protein-packed snack, so when presented correctly, salmon and trout eggs are a top trout bait.
There are many ways to fish eggs, and each method works best in a certain place and time:
- Cured single eggs: Eggs can be cured so they can be put on a tiny size 10–16 hook without popping. This presentation works well in low, clear water for easily spooked trout. Pautzke Balls O' Fire Trout Eggs are ready to fish right out of the jar.
- Spawn sacs: Eggs can be tied into mesh netting so the hook doesn't need to go into the egg itself.
- Skein: "Skein" describes eggs still attached to the membrane. It's fished using a unique loop knot that holds the eggs onto the hook.
Spawn sacs and skein typically work better in higher or more stained water. Cures and dyes like Pautzke BorX O' Fire let you change the scent, texture, and color of your eggs to make them more appealing. Browse more trout attractants and cures.
Best for Visibility: Berkley PowerBait Glitter Trout Bait
Berkley PowerBait Glitter Trout Bait features a floating, biodegradable formula that enhances the dispersion of scent and flavor. The glitter catches and reflects light, adding to the visibility of these eye-catching colors and triggering more strikes. It's pliable and very easy to mold into larva or egg shapes, and it lets you float your hook just above the bottom where trout in the area can't resist taking a big bite.
Best Live Bait for Jigs: Live Grubs
Grubs, maggots, spikes — whatever you call them in your part of the world, one thing stays the same: they're a top trout bait. Grubs are commonly used to tip a lure such as a hair jig, but they can also be fished on a tiny size 10–14 live bait hook. Don't be afraid to load a liberal amount of them onto that hook or jig.
Best Minnow for Trout: Emerald Shiners
Not all minnows are created equal in a trout's eyes. A trout will eat any species of minnow, but there's something about an emerald shiner that they just can't resist. Scent is likely a large part of why trout choose an emerald shiner over other minnows, but color and the emerald's soft body structure may also play a key role. Shiners are typically most effective fished under a float on a small single hook or a hair jig.
How to Choose the Best Trout Bait
Water Type
Floating dough baits like PowerBait shine in lakes and ponds, where they can sit just off the bottom and let scent do the work. In rivers and streams, drifted eggs, grubs, and shiners match what trout naturally see moving with the current.
Water Clarity and Flow
In low, clear water, go small and subtle — cured single eggs or grubs on a tiny hook won't spook wary fish. In higher or more stained water, larger presentations like spawn sacs and skein, or bright and glittery dough baits, help trout find your bait.
Hook Size
Match your hook to the bait. Use a size 6–10 live bait hook for dough baits, depending on how much dough you use, and drop to size 10–16 for single eggs and size 10–14 for grubs.
Scent and Color
Scent draws trout in from a distance, and color seals the deal. Heavily scented dough baits and cured eggs let you experiment with both — use cures and dyes to adjust the scent, texture, and color of eggs, and rotate dough colors until you find what the fish want that day.
Local Regulations
Before you head out, check your local fishing regulations. Some trout waters restrict live bait or are designated artificial-lures-only or fly-fishing-only. If bait is off the table, our guide to the best lures for trout covers proven alternatives.
Trout Bait Fishing Tips
Float Your Dough Off the Bottom
Floating dough baits are designed to rise above the bottom. Mold enough dough around your hook to cover it completely and suspend it in the strike zone where cruising trout will find it.
Drift Eggs Naturally
Loose eggs tumble downstream with the current, so your presentation should too. Let your egg, sac, or skein drift naturally through runs and below gravel spawning areas, where trout are used to picking off drifting eggs.
Tip Your Jigs
Adding grubs to a hair jig combines the lifelike movement of the jig with the scent and texture of live bait. Load the hook generously — trout won't be put off by a big bunch of grubs.
Use a Float for Live Bait
Emerald shiners and grubs are most effective suspended under a float, which keeps your bait at the right depth and lets it drift naturally through likely holding water.
Rotate Through Baits
Trout can be moody. If one bait isn't producing, switch it up — go from dough to eggs, or from grubs to a shiner — until you find what triggers bites. Pair your bait selection with a few go-to lures like trout spinners or trout spoons so you're ready for active fish too.
FAQs About Trout Bait
The best trout baits are Berkley PowerBait Floating Trout Dough, cured salmon and trout eggs, Berkley PowerBait Glitter Trout Bait, live grubs such as maggots or spikes, and emerald shiners. PowerBait is the go-to for stocked trout in lakes and ponds, eggs are a top choice in rivers and streams, and grubs and shiners are deadly natural baits fished under a float or on a small jig.
Use a size 6 to 10 live bait hook for PowerBait dough, depending on how much dough you mold onto it. Cured single eggs and live grubs work best on tiny size 10 to 16 hooks. Emerald shiners are typically fished on a small single hook or a hair jig under a float.
Mold PowerBait Floating Trout Dough into a ball around a size 6 to 10 live bait hook so the hook is covered. Because the dough floats, it rises off the bottom and suspends your bait right in the strike zone. The heavy scent draws trout from long distances, so let it soak and wait for the fish to find it.
Cured single eggs on a size 10 to 16 hook work best in low, clear water for easily spooked trout. In higher or more stained water, tie eggs into mesh spawn sacs or fish skein, which is eggs still attached to the membrane, using a loop knot to hold them on the hook. Drift the eggs naturally with the current the way a loose egg would travel downstream.
Yes. Grubs, maggots, and spikes are a top trout bait. Tip a hair jig with them or fish them on a tiny size 10 to 14 live bait hook, and do not be afraid to load a generous amount of grubs onto the hook or jig.
Trout will eat almost any minnow, but emerald shiners are especially effective. Their scent likely plays a large role, and their color and soft body structure may also make them more appealing than other minnow species. Fish emerald shiners under a float on a small single hook or a hair jig.
Bait and lures both catch trout. Bait often outfishes lures for stocked trout and finicky fish because scent and a natural presentation trigger bites from trout that will not chase. Lures cover more water and work well for active fish. Always check local regulations, since some trout waters are restricted to artificial lures or flies only.
Final Thoughts
Trout fishing is a blast, but it can certainly be tricky. Luckily, some of the best trout baits are also the simplest. From PowerBait dough and cured eggs to live grubs and emerald shiners, we hope the baits covered in this guide lead you to more success on the water. Stock up on trout fishing gear before your next trip!