13 Best Winter Flies for Trout: 2026 Fly Fishing Guide for the Cold Season

Winter fly fishing is quite challenging. The fish get picky, the hatches slow to a crawl, and your fingers go numb before you even make your third cast (trust me, I've been there more times than I can count). But here's the thing about winter trout: they're still feeding.

They're just very selective, and you can't throw any old fly and expect results. You need Zebra Midges, Pheasant Tail Nymphs, and egg patterns that match what they're actually eating when the water's cold.

This guide shows you exactly which 13 flies catch winter trout consistently, why these patterns work when others don't, and how to fish them in frigid conditions. By the end, you'll have a winter fly box that produces fish instead of just looking pretty.

Trout metabolism slows way down when water temperatures drop.

In tailwaters like the South Holston River in Virginia, where temperatures hold steady at 45-50 degrees F year-round, you'll still see active hatches and feeding fish. But in freestone streams that ice over? Forget about it. Those fish shut down almost completely. They sit in deeper holes and slow pools, conserving energy. When they do eat, they want easy calories: tiny insects drifting right past their face. Miss that narrow feeding window between noon and 2pm, and you might as well pack it in.

So how do you beat these odds? Pick the right fly for fly fishing. The patterns below will help you match what trout are eating when the water's cold and their energy is low.

These tiny insects keep trout active when other hatches shut down. When nothing else is hatching, you can bet trout are still eating small flies that imitate these aquatic insects.

Here are the six patterns that outfish everything else in cold water.

The Zebra Midge is stupid simple and deadly effective.

It's just a thread wrapped around a hook with a little bead head, but that slim profile is exactly what winter trout want. In 40-degree F water, fish aren't chasing big meals. They want something easy to eat that doesn't require much effort. What makes this fly work is the subtle movement - the thread body doesn't absorb water like dubbing, so it drifts naturally with the current. Trout key in on that realistic drift.

The Jujube Midge has a segmented body with distinct color bands that copy local species perfectly. Where a Zebra Midge is plain, the Jujube adds that extra bit of realism that picky winter trout need.

This pattern shines during early morning and late afternoon hatches when the color contrast between the segments triggers strikes from fish that have seen every other fly in your box.

For hookups, set the hook gently. Winter trout have soft mouths, and these tiny flies don't have much hook gap. A hard hookset will rip right through. Instead, lift your rod smoothly and keep steady pressure. Fish sizes 20-24 in the same slow water you'd use a Zebra Midge.

The Zelon Midge is visible to both you and the trout, which matters when you're fishing in winter's flat gray light.

The Zelon wing post creates a subtle flash underwater that catches what little light is available on overcast days. That flash isn't just for show - it triggers strikes from trout sitting in shadowed pockets who might otherwise ignore a plain pattern. The Zelon also helps you track your fly without needing a bright strike indicator that might spook cautious fish.

Use sizes 18-20 for the best balance between visibility and realism. Fish it in slower water where trout have time to inspect their food.

The WD-40 uses reflective materials in its construction that catch even tiny amounts of light. In winter's low-visibility conditions, that reflection is the difference between getting noticed and drifting past ignored.

This fly works best when paired with a smaller nymph in a two-fly rig. Put the WD-40 on top as your lead fly, then hang a size 22 midge or small Pheasant Tail 18 inches below it. Fish it in shadowed pools and undercut banks where winter trout hold. Use 6X or 7X tippet (that's super thin line) to keep your presentation delicate. Trout in clear winter water can see everything.

Brooks' Sprout Midge Emerger imitates insects transitioning from nymph to adult. This stage is when they're most vulnerable, stuck halfway through their transformation in the water column. Trout know it, which is why they hammer emergers during hatch transitions.

The warmest part of the day, between noon and 2pm, is when you'll see the most activity (I learned this the hard way after freezing my butt off for three hours at dawn with nothing to show for it). Focus your fishing during this window. Try both dead drift and gentle twitches - start with a natural drift, and if that doesn't produce, add tiny twitches every few seconds to imitate a struggling insect.

The Griffiths Gnat is about as simple as fly fishing gets.

Hackle palmered along the body, a little dubbing, done. But don't let the simplicity fool you. This pattern catches fish when nothing else will. It works best in slow water where trout have time to inspect your fly. Tailouts and slow glides on cloudy mornings are perfect.

Fish it with a slow, steady drift and watch for subtle takes. Often, you won't see a rise, just a slight pause in your fly's drift. Use a strike indicator to help with depth control, especially if you're fishing deeper runs. Fish sizes 18-20.

These patterns get down to where trout are holding in deeper water, imitating the aquatic insects and crustaceans that make up most of their winter diet. Our complete collection of nymphs covers different water conditions, but these five are winter essentials.

The Pheasant Tail Nymph has a natural profile that imitates mayfly nymphs, which are active in winter despite what most anglers think. Fish it near gravel or rocky bottoms where trout feed, especially in riffles and runs that stay ice-free.

The key is mimicking natural water currents with slow, subtle movement. Don't strip or jerk your fly. Let it tumble along the bottom like a real nymph would, bouncing off rocks and drifting with the flow. You want that dead drift, where your line moves at the exact same speed as the current. Stock sizes 14-18, with 16 being your go-to.

The Copper John sinks like a rock, which is exactly what you need for reaching deeper trout zones in winter. Its tungsten bead head and wire body get it down fast, even in faster currents where lighter nymphs would wash downstream.

Here's a tip: use short 3-4 inch hops, followed by 2-second pauses to trigger reaction strikes. That sudden movement imitates a nymph trying to swim, and the pause lets it sink back down.

Trout often hit during the pause when the fly is falling.

Egg patterns work from December through March during the post-spawn period. After trout finish spawning in fall, their eggs drift downstream and other trout gobble them up. It's an easy meal that requires zero effort to catch.

The best colors are orange, pink, and peach in sizes 12-16. Brighter colors work better in stained water, while pale peach is great in clear conditions. I've had days where pink out-fished orange 3-to-1, so carry multiple colors and let the fish tell you what they want. Fish low and slow, crawling your egg along the bottom in pockets and divots where real eggs would settle. (I learned early on that if you're not getting snagged occasionally, you're not fishing deep enough).

The Kaufmann Stonefly Nymph is a bigger meal than most winter patterns, imitating the large stonefly nymphs that stay active even in cold water.

Stoneflies need oxygen-rich water, so they hang out in turbulent runs and riffles where other insects can't survive. That's where you want to fish this pattern. Focus on fast water with lots of rocks and bubbles.

One thing you can’t ignore, though, is that color and size matching matter here. Natural stonefly nymphs range from brown to black to golden, depending on the species. Start with a brown pattern in size 8-12 and adjust based on what you see in the water.

Streamers target aggressive trout that are willing to chase bigger food. Winter streamer fishing isn't as popular as nymphing, but it catches the biggest fish of the season. These patterns imitate baitfish and large aquatic prey that winter trout will ambush when the opportunity presents itself.

The Mini Snake is a small baitfish imitation that exploits trout's opportunistic feeding behavior. Even when trout are mostly eating tiny nymphs, they won't pass up an easy baitfish meal if it swims right past their face.

Vary your retrieval speeds to find the optimum strike rhythm. Start with slow strips, giving the fly time to swim and pause. If that doesn't work, speed up to short, fast strips that make the fly dart erratically. Cast across and downstream, let the fly sink for a few seconds, then strip it back in short bursts. Pause between strips to let it flutter down, imitating a dying minnow. Fish it in deeper pools and runs where larger trout hold.

Sculpzilla has an aggressive design built to provoke reaction strikes from stubborn trout.

This pattern imitates sculpin, which are bottom-dwelling baitfish that trout love to eat. Sculpins don't swim gracefully, they dart from rock to rock, and that erratic movement is what Sculpzilla replicates. Fish this pattern during daytime when trout are more likely to chase larger prey.

Now that you know which flies to use, let's talk about sizing. Getting the size right is just as important as choosing the right pattern.

Winter fly sizes run smaller than other seasons because trout metabolism slows and they focus on easy, small meals. Here's a quick reference for the most productive sizes:

• Midge Patterns: sizes 18-24 (with 20-22 being most productive)

• Nymph Patterns: sizes 14-20 (with 16-18 as your go-to)

• Egg Patterns: sizes 12-16 (larger than midges but still reasonable)

• Streamer Patterns: sizes 6-10 (bigger than everything else but still not huge)

Compare these to summer sizes, where you might fish size 10-14 hoppers and size 4-8 streamers all day. Winter trout simply don't want to work that hard for food.

Alright, you've got the right flies and you know what sizes to use. Now comes the fun part: staying alive while you fish. Winter fly fishing is incredible, but hypothermia isn't.

Here’s how to gear up for winter trout fishing:

If you need help choosing winter-ready equipment, you can explore our guide to choosing the right fly fishing gear in our fly fishing gear guide, which covers everything from waders to gloves. You can also check out our fly-tying material kits if you want to prep patterns ahead of your next cold-weather trip.

Last December, I landed eight fish in three hours using size 22 Zebra Midges in the Harriman section. The water was gin-clear, the trout were rising steadily from noon until 2pm, and I had the whole run to myself. That's the magic of winter fishing there.

The limitation here is access during heavy snow. Roads close, and even when they're open, you might need chains or four-wheel drive. Hire a local guide your first time if you're not familiar with the river. They know which runs produce in winter and which ones ice over.

The White River's clear waters sustain trout activity all winter because releases from Bull Shoals Dam keep temperatures stable around 48-52 degrees F. This is a true trophy tailwater with browns pushing 20 plus pounds.

The key is mobility. Don't camp on one spot. Move until you find feeding fish. For access, use the public areas at Rim Shoals, Wildcat Shoals, and Buffalo City. All have parking and reasonable walk-in distances. The main limitation is wade fishing depth. This river gets deep fast, so be conservative about how far out you go.

The South Holston River has one of the healthiest trout populations in the Southeast, with excellent insect activity even in January and February. Blue-winged olives hatch regularly during winter, giving you multiple patterns to work with.

The trade-off is that this river requires precise casting and long, drag-free drifts. The fish are educated from constant pressure, so sloppy presentations get ignored.

The fix: use 6X or 7X tippet, downsize your flies to 20-22, and focus on natural drifts. Mend your line constantly to prevent drag.

Pick three to five flies from this list and master them before you try the others. I'd suggest starting with Zebra Midges, Pheasant Tail Nymphs, and Copper Johns. These three patterns will catch trout in almost any winter situation.

Want to sharpen your skills even more? Check out our complete guide on fly fishing gear for beginners to make sure you've got everything you need.

Get out there, try these patterns, and don't let frozen fingers stop you from experiencing some of the best fishing of the year.