Like I said before, trout are inherently lazy. They’re not going to exert energy unless they have too.

Generally, trout will move only for one of three reasons: to find food, to find shelter, or to spawn. If they don’t have to move for any of these three reasons, they won’t move at all. How do I know this?

Back in college I used to fish Boulder Creek ALL the time. And I mean, ALL the time — like, multiple times a week. Every single time I went fishing, I would fish the same three or four stretches of creek. Eventually, I became so familiar with the area and the fish I caught there, I started to call the trout by name. I would recognize their individual colorations, patterns, sizes…I knew if they typically sat behind a certain rock…you name it. So, I started to wonder: “do fish always go right back to where they were after I release them? Or, will I find this same fish ten yards downstream next Tuesday?”

So, in order to answer my question, I started photographing every fish I caught, including where I caught them. What I ultimately found was that, like I briefly mentioned before, they don’t move unless they’re forced to. They LOVE their spots when the find them. In their little trout brain they’ve already decided for themselves that that’s the best spot to survive and thrive. It’s transitional water, they’re well sheltered, food comes without effort…there really isn’t any reason they have to go anywhere else. 

However, if the fish finds itself getting hungry (their endless conveyor belt of food stops because the water level dropped, another bigger trout takes over their food supply, etc.) it’s going to have to move. And of course, when it does, it’s going to be searching for more food, more shelter, more oxygen, good transitions in the water… all of the things we’ve already talked about. Truthfully, trout generally don’t move more than 50 to 100 feet up or down a river unless they have too. Whether or not they move up or down the river is really up to their instincts. 

Lastly, fish will move and adjust their locations to spawn. We know that salmon go hundreds of thousands of miles to spawn. Reproduction is essential to their survival, like it is with any species. 

All in all, really study these points the next time you head out to the river. Think like a trout, and look for transitions in the water. Find shaded areas, think about shelter. Look for rifles, and remind yourself of the importance of oxygen. Then, when it’s all said and done, go grab yourself a burger and a beer, sit completely still, and eat it all by simply opening and closing your mouth. That’s what the trout would do!