Best Lures for Brook Trout: 8 Picks Compared

Our verdict

Top Picks for Brook Trout Lures

Mepps, which makes the Aglia spinner, puts the average brook trout at about eight to ten inches and under half a pound in its own trout guide. So this guide does not just collect lures sold as “trout lures”. Every pick below is a specific size or weight that the maker, or a named writer, ties to trout, and the Amazon link opens that exact size.

The eight picks come from six brands and cover three inline spinners, two casting spoons, two small hard baits and a jig-and-grub kit. Where a source covers a different size or model than the one we link, the review says so next to the praise. For the rest of a trout kit, our guides to trout spinning rods and trout fishing line cover the other half of the setup, and our fishing gear hub collects the rest of our fishing guides.

Price tiers in this guide are relative: $ = entry level, $$ = higher priced, relative to the products in this guide; live prices are in the comparison table below.

Compare the picks

Compare the 8 Brook Trout Lures

Each row is the exact size the link opens. Weight and size are written as the source states them, with the source first: “Maker” is the maker’s own page, “Listing” is the Amazon listing, and “Acme” or “Rapala” names the maker’s chart. “Not published” means the sources we read do not give the figure. Weights are quoted at each lure’s own size, so they are not a ranking.

How the Sizes Were Checked for Small-Water Brook Trout

What a pick had to meet

• A maker page, or a named writer, ties the linked size or weight to trout.
• The Amazon link opens that exact size or kit, in stock and new, at the time of writing.
• Sizes outside the range the maker states for trout were not considered.
• Each review names its evidence: an independent source, a source that sells the product, or owner reports.

Sources and independence, what the owner posts say and hook rules: a state agency’s wording

Sources and independence

Mepps, Panther Martin, Acme, Rapala, Rebel and Trout Magnet are the makers of the products reviewed, so their pages are labelled “Retailer review (sells it), not independent” or “maker specs”. Two writers who do not sell the products name picks. One is a Trout Unlimited magazine column by Mark Taylor on hard baits for big winter trout, which concerns browns and rainbows in Virginia tailwaters rather than brook trout. The other is a Seattle fishing-charter blog by Andrew Moravec that lists his favourite trout lures; it is one writer’s account, not a test. The sellers named in each review hold the Amazon buy box at the time of writing and can change.

What the owner posts say

The r/Fishing thread for this keyword is short. One poster writes, “Small panther martin is usually my choice.” Another: “Small Panther Martins and small Rapala Countdowns are my best producers.” A third says, “In my experience brook trout often prefer copper over silver or gold colors, especially on overcast days,” and names tiny Kastmasters, Phoebes, Super Dupers, Mepps Aglias and Panther Martins with copper blades. These are individual posters, and none names a pick’s exact size.

Hook rules: a state agency’s wording

Some brook trout water has gear rules. Connecticut’s Department of Energy & Environmental Protection sorts its Wild Trout Management Areas into classes, and only the strictest is barbless single-hook: “Class 1: Catch and release only, open year-round, use of barbless single-hook artificial lures and barbless single-hook flies only.” Its entry for Beaver Brook in Barkhamsted reads “Barbless single-hook artificial lures and barbless single hook flies only” (Connecticut DEEP, River and Stream Regulations). Rules differ by state and by water and change, so read your own agency’s current regulations before you fish; this guide is not legal advice.

Detailed Reviews: 8 Lures for Brook Trout

Mepps Aglia Plain Treble, Small-Stream Spinner

Evidence: Retailer review (sells it), not independent. Mepps (maker’s Tactics article): #0 and #1 Aglias, brook trout size advice.

The Tactics article says: “#00, #0 & #1 Mepps Aglias are perfect for small stream brook trout, rainbow trout or brown trout. Larger trout may prefer a #2 or #3 Aglia.” In the brook trout section it repeats the size advice: “We recommend #0 and #1 Mepps Aglias. For brookies larger than 10-inches we recommend a #2 or #3 Aglia.” Mepps makes the lure, so this is brand guidance, not an independent test. The same article says plain Aglias are sold with a treble or a single hook; the linked listing is the treble version, with the size listed as 1/8 oz. “Brook Trout” in the name is a finish, and the listing text we read does not describe the blade.

On r/troutfishing, one poster writes, “I’ve caught a lot of trouts with the plain Mepps Aglia #1 and #2.” Another favours “Silver and gold blades size 1 typically. Silver on the sunny, gold on the cloudy.” Neither says they own this finish. Sold by Al’s Sporting Goods on Amazon at the time of writing, not by Mepps or Amazon.com.

Specs: Mepps Aglia Plain Treble, #1 (1/8 oz), Brook Trout finish

• Linked variant: #1 plain treble, Brook Trout finish, model B1 BRK
• Weight: 1/8 oz per the listing (Mepps lists its #1 Aglias at 1/8 oz)
• Hooks: treble per the listing; hook size not published
• Length: not published
• Maker’s trout guidance: #0 and #1 for small-stream brook trout
• Price tier: $ (live Amazon price in the table above)

Panther Martin Classic Regular, Size 2 Classic Spinner

Evidence: Retailer review (sells it), not independent. Panther Martin (maker’s trout guide): size 1 and 2 spinners, family not named.

Panther Martin’s brook trout page says its lure families and sizes are “best suited for catching Brook Trout” and lists Classic Regular at 1/32 oz to 1/2 oz. The trout guide adds that “silver spinner blades are known to excite rainbows, lake trout, cutthroats and brookies while brown, golden and bull trout often favor gold blades” and that “under most conditions when using spinners a simple, straight retrieve works best for trout.” The listing, which Panther Martin sells itself, describes the size 2 (1/16 oz) as working “stream runs and plunge pools, farm ponds, spring creeks and shallow lakeshores”. All of this is maker material; the owner posts above (“Small panther martin is usually my choice”) do not name a size.

Trade-off against pick 3: this Classic is the standard version, and the barbless single-hook pick below is the same size in a different hook setup. Sold by Panther Martin on Amazon at the time of writing.

Specs: Panther Martin Classic Regular, size 2 (1/16 oz), Silver/White/Red

• Linked variant: Classic Regular, Silver/White/Red, size 2 (1/16 oz)
• Weight: 1/16 oz per the listing
• Hooks: not published in the sources we read
• Maker’s trout guidance: sizes 1 and 2 for small trout streams
• Price tier: $ (live Amazon price in the table above)

Panther Martin Barbless Single Hook, Barbless Spinner

Evidence: No independent test; maker specs. Source: Panther Martin brook trout page (maker).

Panther Martin’s brook trout page lists the Barbless Single Hook family at 1/16 oz to 1/4 oz among the lures and sizes “best suited for catching Brook Trout”. The linked listing is size 2 (1/16 oz) in silver, which fits the trout guide’s advice to use size 1 and 2 spinners in small trout streams and its note that silver blades are “known to excite” brookies. Connecticut DEEP’s wording for its Class 1 wild trout areas, quoted in the methodology section, is one example of a gear rule that names barbless single-hook lures; check your own agency’s current rules. We read the Gold colour of this listing in full (single hook, 1/16 oz); the Silver colour is identified from Amazon’s title for it.

Trade-off against pick 2: you give up the treble’s extra hook points for a single hook, which Panther Martin’s listing describes as “easier on the fish” when it is a true barbless single. That is a hook-rule and handling choice, and no source we read measures a catch-rate difference for brook trout. At the time of writing, this Silver colour was sold by Panther Martin on Amazon.

Specs: Panther Martin Barbless Single Hook, size 2 (1/16 oz), Silver

• Linked variant: Barbless Single Hook, Silver, size 2 (1/16 oz)
• Weight: 1/16 oz per the listing
• Hooks: single, barbless per the listing
• Maker’s trout guidance: Barbless Single Hook family sized 1/16 oz to 1/4 oz for brook trout
• Price tier: $ (live Amazon price in the table above)

Acme Kastmaster 1/12 oz, Light-Tackle Spoon

Evidence: Retailer review (sells it), not independent. Acme Tackle (maker’s Kastmaster page): 1/12 oz size chart.

Acme’s Kastmaster page says the lure “catches fish from pan-sized trout to bragging-sized stripers” and lists “1/32, 1/24 & 1/12 oz. (2-4 lb. test) for the light tackle specialist – ideal for trout, panfish, shad & for ice fishing.” Each lure “comes with a split ring and a treble hook”. The independent voice here is a Seattle fishing-charter blog: Andrew Moravec calls the Acme Kastmaster “one of my go-to trout lures for rivers and lakes”, but his favourite sizes are 1/8 and 1/4 oz, and he adds that “they offer some smaller sizes that are more appropriate for alpine lake fishing where the forage is usually smaller.” That is a different size from the linked 1/12 oz and one writer’s account, not a test.

Sold by Fair Services on Amazon at the time of writing, and the listing showed few units left, so check availability.

Specs: Acme Kastmaster, 1/12 oz, Chrome

• Linked variant: Kastmaster, 1/12 oz, Chrome
• Weight: 1/12 oz (Acme)
• Line range in Acme’s chart: 2-4 lb test
• Hooks: treble on a split ring (Acme)
• Length: not published
• Price tier: $$ (live Amazon price in the table above)

Acme Little Cleo 1/8 oz, Wobbling Spoon

Evidence: Retailer review (sells it), not independent. Acme Tackle (maker’s Little Cleo chart): 1/8-1/6 oz size chart.

The chart reads: “1/8-1/6 oz. (2-4 lb. test) Ultra-lite, light spinning & spincasting Ideal for trout, panfish, shad & smallmouth bass.” It gives the length as approximately 1 3/8 in for that row. Acme describes the shape this way: “The unique hump-backed shape of Little Cleo results in a seductive, wiggling action as the lure is drawn through the water.” Acme sells the lure, so this is maker guidance with no independent test behind it.

Trade-off against pick 4: both are Acme casting spoons. The Kastmaster is a straight, machined spoon; the Little Cleo has the hump-backed, wiggling shape described above. The listing’s hook details are not published on Acme’s chart. Sold by Reveal Outdoors on Amazon at the time of writing.

Specs: Acme Little Cleo, 1/8 oz, Copper

• Linked variant: Little Cleo, 1/8 oz, Copper
• Weight: 1/8 oz (Acme)
• Length: approx. 1 3/8 in for the 1/8-1/6 oz row (Acme)
• Line range in Acme’s chart: 2-4 lb test
• Hooks: not published
• Price tier: $$ (live Amazon price in the table above)

Rapala Ultra Light Minnow 04, Slow-Sinking Minnow

Evidence: Independently reviewed, same series. Trout Unlimited (Mark Taylor): Rapala Ultralight Minnow, 2 1/2 in version (06).

The linked lure is the 04, which Rapala lists at 1 1/2 in, 1/8 oz, with a 2′-3′ running depth and two No. 10 hooks. Rapala calls it slow-sinking and “designed to work from 2-3 feet in the water column.” The independent source is a Trout Unlimited column by Mark Taylor, and it covers the 2 1/2 in version (the 06), not the 1 1/2 in we link: “I fish the 2 ½-inch version exclusively. It runs at a depth between 2 and 3 feet. I catch plenty of smaller fish on it, but big fish like it, too.” He adds a caveat: “The hooks are excellent, but the plastic-bodied lure is not super durable. Hit a few rocks when you’re pounding the shoreline and it’s going to break.” He fishes it for big winter browns, and says “most strikes happen during the pause.”

A poster on r/Fishing suggested swapping the treble hooks for singles on this lure; that is one poster’s tip, not a maker instruction. At the time of writing, Amazon’s product page showed The Sportsman’s Guide below Rapala’s $9.99 list while Amazon.com’s offer was above it, so check the price shown before you buy.

Specs: Rapala Ultra Light Minnow ULM04, 1 1/2 in, Chrome

• Linked variant: Ultra Light Minnow 04, Chrome (ULM04CH)
• Body length: 1 1/2 in (Rapala)
• Weight: 1/8 oz (Rapala)
• Running depth: 2′-3′ (Rapala)
• Hooks: two No. 10 (Rapala)
• Price tier: $$ (live Amazon price in the table above)

Rebel Teeny Wee Craw, Crawfish Crankbait

Evidence: Independently reviewed, exact model. Trout Unlimited (Mark Taylor): Rebel Teeny Wee Craw.

The maker’s page gives model F77 as 1 1/2 in, 1/10 oz, running 2′-3′ deep on a #14 hook, and says it is “equally effective in streams, lakes and ponds”. Mark Taylor of Trout Unlimited writes: “My favorite in this series is the Teeny Wee Craw. It’s only 1 ½ inches long but I think it’s got the best action of the series, with a super tight wiggle.” He likes it when wading, “slowly back reel[ing] the lure downstream into pockets and runs”, and he warns: “It is really hard to keep fish buttoned on the #14 trebles, the stock versions of which are not very good to start with.” He also notes that the small size means “you’re not going to select for larger fish as well as if you’re fishing a 4-inch-long twitch bait.” His favourite colour is Stream Crawfish; the linked colour is Flaming Junebug, and his column concerns browns and rainbows.

Trade-off against pick 6: both are small hard baits. The Rebel is a shallow-running crawfish bait on #14 hooks per its maker, and the Rapala is a slow-sinking minnow on No. 10 hooks per its maker. Sold by Amazon.com at the time of writing.

Specs: Rebel Teeny Wee Craw, Flaming Junebug

• Linked variant: Teeny Wee (2-3 ft depth), Flaming Junebug
• Length: 1 1/2 in (maker)
• Weight: 1/10 oz (maker)
• Running depth: 2′-3′ (maker)
• Hooks: #14 (maker)
• Price tier: $ (live Amazon price in the table above)

Trout Magnet Big Kit, Jig-and-Grub Kit

Evidence: Retailer review (sells it), not independent. Trout Magnet (maker’s kit page): Big Kit.

The kit holds “20 hooks, 120 bodies, 2 floats” per the maker, with “10 gold and 10 silver unique shad-dart heads”. Trout Magnet sells its jig heads separately in 1/64 oz with a size 8 hook; the kit page does not state the weight of the heads in this kit, so we do not give one. The maker’s page says the size 8 jig hook is “made by Mustad only for the Trout Magnet” and that the lure “is designed to fall horizontal in the water unlike most jigs that fall head first.” Customer reviews on the maker’s own page are not independent; one reads, “This kit has been slaying the fish for me the last few months. We caught 14 trout on them today alone.” Another says, “I hit my limit in about 20 min.”

This pick is a kit rather than a single lure, so no single weight is published for it. The other seven are casting lures; this one is fished with the floats and jig heads the kit includes. Amazon.com was the seller in the site’s Amazon product record at the time of writing; we could not read the listing page for it.

Specs: Trout Magnet Big Kit, 142 pieces

• Linked variant: Big Kit, 142 pieces
• Contents: 120 bodies, 20 hooks, 2 floats (maker)
• Jig hook: size 8 (maker)
• Weight of the kit’s heads: not published on the kit page
• Price tier: $$ (live Amazon price in the table above)

Choosing a Lure for Brook Trout Water

Best lures for brook trout in small rivers and streams

For small-stream brook trout, the size statements that name small streams come from the makers of the spinners: Mepps’s #0 and #1 Aglias and Panther Martin’s size 1 and 2. Rapala and Rebel list their small hard baits for streams as well. Picks: Mepps Aglia #1, Panther Martin Classic Regular size 2, Rapala Ultra Light Minnow 04, Rebel Teeny Wee Craw. A writer on Rapala’s own blog (Rapala sells the Countdown, so this is not independent) notes that in smaller rivers anglers cast “generally in pools, runs, beaver ponds and at the base of falls” and that “the smaller Countdown’s of both styles work well in these rivers, particularly where baitfish like stickleback and sculpin are common.” He does not name a Countdown size for those rivers, so we do not link one. If you also fish bass in cold water, Best Bass Lures for Winter compares cold-water lures on size, weight, depth and hooks, and Best River Smallmouth Lures does the same for river hard and soft baits. For other species, see our guides to lures for northern pike and artificial baits for snook.

Best lures for brook trout in lakes and ponds

The sources are thinner for still water. Panther Martin’s listing for the size 2 mentions “farm ponds, spring creeks and shallow lakeshores”, Rapala names “small ponds and shallow bays and shorelines” for the Ultra Light Minnow, and the Seattle blog writer calls the Kastmaster a go-to for “rivers and lakes”. The Trout Unlimited columnist says of the Rapala Countdown, which we do not link: “This is a lure for deep holes. If it’s not at least 10 feet deep you’re probably better off with a suspending lure.” Picks: Panther Martin Classic Regular size 2, Acme Kastmaster 1/12 oz, Rapala Ultra Light Minnow 04.

Spinner, spoon, hard bait or jig?

Our types of fishing lures guide explains how jigs, crankbaits and spoons differ. For this keyword, the makers’ advice differs by family. Mepps and Panther Martin tie their spinner sizes to small trout. Acme ties the 1/12 oz Kastmaster and the 1/8 to 1/6 oz Little Cleo to light-line trout fishing. Rapala and Rebel list their small hard baits for trout, and the Trout Magnet is a jig under a float. Several picks carry treble hooks (the Mepps, Kastmaster and Teeny Wee Craw per their listings or makers, and the Ultra Light Minnow per the Trout Unlimited column), and a poster on r/troutfishing wrote of a small creek, “for smaller creeks you’re gonna tear up your trout population with treble hooks.” The Trout Unlimited columnist says of treble-hook hard baits, “I always pinch the barbs, which makes unhooking fish easier and has no impact on the number of fish that stay buttoned.” That is one writer’s practice; whether you may pinch barbs or use trebles depends on your water’s rules. If your water allows bait, see Best Baits for Stocked Trout.

Colour: what the sources say

The sources do not agree, so treat colour as something to try. Panther Martin says “silver spinner blades are known to excite rainbows, lake trout, cutthroats and brookies while brown, golden and bull trout often favor gold blades.” One r/Fishing poster says brook trout “often prefer copper over silver or gold colors, especially on overcast days.” An r/troutfishing poster says to use silver on sunny days and gold on cloudy ones. Mepps’s advice is to “select lure colors that will contrast with the water color and background the lure will be seen against.”

Frequently Asked Questions About Brook Trout Lures

No source we read names one. Mepps recommends #0 and #1 Aglias for brook trout, Panther Martin lists size 1 and 2 spinners for small trout streams, and the r/Fishing thread for this keyword names small Panther Martins, a Mepps 0 and copper-bladed spinners. Our eight picks are the specific sizes behind those statements, plus two spoons, two hard baits and a jig kit.

Mepps says brook trout are “almost always hungry” and “not too fussy about how the lure is presented, upstream, downstream or across.” A writer on Rapala’s blog mentions baitfish such as stickleback and sculpin in smaller rivers. Neither is a diet study.

See the colour section above: Panther Martin points to silver blades, one poster to copper, and Mepps to contrast with the water. They disagree, so carry more than one.

Panther Martin says “under most conditions when using spinners a simple, straight retrieve works best for trout” and, in strong flows, to “quarter the current in an upstream direction with each cast.” Mepps says brook trout “like to lie close to the bottom in eddies, pools or undercut banks, behind rocks and under logs.” Match your rod and line to the lure weight; our trout spinning rod and trout line guides cover both.

It depends on the water. Connecticut DEEP’s wording for its Class 1 wild trout areas is “barbless single-hook artificial lures and barbless single-hook flies only”; other states and waters differ, and rules change. Check your own agency’s current regulations. The Panther Martin Barbless Single Hook is listed as a single, barbless hook.

The bottom line

Final Verdict

If your water takes treble hooks and you want the size Mepps names for small-stream brook trout, start with the Mepps Aglia #1 (check price). The Panther Martin Classic Regular size 2 (check price) is the same idea from a maker whose trout guide points size 1 and 2 spinners at small trout streams, and the Panther Martin Barbless Single Hook size 2 (check price) is the single-hook version for waters with barbless rules. The Acme Kastmaster 1/12 oz (check price) and the Acme Little Cleo 1/8 oz (check price) are light-line spoons that Acme groups with trout, and the two hard baits, the Rapala Ultra Light Minnow 04 (check price) and the Rebel Teeny Wee Craw (check price), are small enough for streams per their makers. The Trout Magnet Big Kit (check price) is the float-and-jig option. Whatever you choose, check your state’s current hook and bait rules first.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.