Best Trout Fishing State In The Contiguous Us

[ozark trout fisher]

Just a fun poll. What state in the contiguous United States has the best trout fishing? I didn't include all 50 states, but I think that most of the top choices are up there.

Not that it matters, but my choice is Montana. There is just such a wide variety of good trout water and so many good watersheds. You've got the Madison, Yellowstone, Gallatin, Big Hole, Bitterroot, Clark Fork, Blackfoot, Bighorn, Missouri, and hundreds of other trout streams. There's great stillwater fishing as well. I'd say the runner up could be Idaho, Colorado, or Wyoming. I think those three all about equal.

[dennis boatman]

I voeted California, but that is where I have the most experience...

[troutfiend1985]

Wyoming/Montana, because it's hard to go wrong with Yellowstone. But I'm also going to Rocky Mountain National and the Driftless area, so I reserve my right to later change my mind.

Although I would say that if you are chasing lunkers then I would choose Arkansas, hands down and no doubts.

[chambug]

My experience has been Colorado, and the "Other" is Arizona....but I look forward to Montana and Wyoming one of these days.

[Gavin]

Depends on how you rate it....I can have fun anywhere as long as I like the people, next comes the place, then the fishing (Wild Fish preferred).

If it just comes down to places and fishing....

1. Mountain West-Montana/Wyoming/Idaho

2. Pacific Northwest-Washington & Oregon

3. N. California

4. Michigan

5. Missouri-Free Flowing Streams

Still lots of places I want to visit...the Driftless, the Catskills, Maine. Cheers.

[ness]

Lotsa CO is public land; not so much so in MT and WY. And, I can be fishing in CO within 10 hours -- big pluses.

But heck, who knows what's best? I couldn't even define 'best' fishing. The thrill is in finding out what you like best, which takes up a big chunk of a lifetime.

[jdmidwest]

I am voting Missouri mainly because of my experience with it and none of the others except Arkansas. Missouri is unique, it offers wild small stream born trout, tailwater trout, lake trout, put and take trout, and pay to fish trout. Not many other states offer so many ways. Missouri offers Rainbows and Brown trout, and just south of the border you can find Cutthroat and Brookies if you want them. The scenery on some of our streams are second to none and the fishing is year round.

I have fished Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alaska, and North Carolina for trout. None really compare to what we have here in the Ozarks.

[Al Agnew]

Lotsa CO is public land; not so much so in MT and WY. And, I can be fishing in CO within 10 hours -- big pluses.

But heck, who knows what's best? I couldn't even define 'best' fishing. The thrill is in finding out what you like best, which takes up a big chunk of a lifetime.

Ness, totally disagree about your public land point. Montana streams are ALL "public" in that the public has a right to fish them anywhere. All you have to do is legally access the stream and you can go anywhere on it, and the stream doesn't have to be big enough to float or anything like that. There is plenty of public access to nearly every Montana stream, so in reality I don't know of many stream stretches that are inaccessible. On the other hand, I've been very frustrated with all the private water in Colorado and to a lesser extent Wyoming. Geez, about 80% or more of such "famous" Colorado rivers as the Frying Pan and South Platte are totally private.

For that reason if for no other, I think Montana is the "best" trout fishing state. It's all wild trout, and there is an unbelievable amount of stream mileage of all sizes and character, from big, brawling float rivers to tiny mountain creeks and everything in between.

Having said that, however, I will say that Missouri has a few things going for it. You can find some pretty big trout in natural streams, perhaps bigger fish on average than a lot of places in Montana and other western states. You have wild trout in a few streams. And perhaps most importantly, trout fishing is a year-round affair. In the western states, at least part of the winter is too cold for fishing a lot of the streams, and at least part of late spring/early summer (and this year through mid-summer) the larger streams are too high to fish.

[drew03cmc]

I have to say that I cannot rank a state that is 90% hatchery supported in the top ten even. Montana is all wild fish as Al said. Colorado has true blue ribbon water and native Cutties. Arizona has native, rare trout (Gila and Apache). The east coast has native brookies. My picks would have to go in this order Oregon, California, Tennessee, Colorado, Montana, Wyoming. I value catching fish in the waters they belong in more than size.

[Wayne SW/MO]

I would have to vote Oregon. Every part of the state has streams and lakes with healthy trout populations. Redbands, Cutts, Lahontans, Brookies, Atlantics and steelhead.

Streams like the McKenzie and the Deschutes are awesome rivers.