Do trout feed in winter?
Yes — trout are cold-adapted, so winter slows them without shutting them down the way it nearly shuts down a largemouth. At 2–4 °C (36–39 °F) a stream rainbow's metabolism runs at a fraction of its summer rate: it still eats, but small items, taken from slow water, with no interest in chasing. Midge larvae and small nymphs dominate the winter stream menu. The striking exception is the lake trout, which is fully comfortable at these temperatures — under the ice a laker cruises and hunts as actively as it does all year, which is why it is a premier ice-fishing target across Canada and the northern US.
The full story
This answer is one piece of a longer lesson — setups, diagrams and the reasoning behind it.
More questions about Temperature & metabolism
Same topic, other species
- What does a cold front do to a crappie school? — Crappie
- What is the best water temperature range for largemouth fishing? — Largemouth Bass
- How does temperature set the muskie's feeding rhythm? — Muskellunge (Muskie)
- Do cold fronts slow perch down the way they slow bass? — Yellow Perch
- What water temperature makes pike feed hardest? — Northern Pike
- Are smallmouth as cold-front sensitive as largemouth? — Smallmouth Bass
- How do cold fronts affect walleye? — Walleye