24 of the Best Trout Streams for Fishing in the U.S

Here at Mountain House, we know a lot of you out there enjoy our delicious “just-add-water” meals on fishing trips, and we’re sure that more than a few of you chase dreams of monster trout all year long. To inspire future angling adventures or spark memories from favorite days on the water, here’s a roundup of 24 of the best trout streams and rivers in America.

Now, before you flood us with passionate, constructive criticism, this list highlights standouts and is not exhaustive of every legendary trout river in the country. Plenty of other destinations deserve love, but we’ll stand by each pick as a strong example of just how incredible trout fishing in the US can be!

Before you set your sights on a new stretch of water, take a moment to prep: stock up on Mountain House meals, give your tackle a quick check, and keep this guide handy as you plan. Use this list of legendary trout streams to make it easier to scout the waters near you, pair stops together on a road trip, or find that next dream spot worth traveling for.

What Makes a Good Trout Stream?

Great trout streams all offer a mix of cold, clean water, reliable flows, and plenty of natural structure that lets trout feed and take cover. Undercut banks, riffles, pools, and pocket water create the lanes and resting spots where fish hold, while a steady supply of insects and native forage keeps them fed, healthy, and active. 

Across the U.S., many rivers fit that bill thanks to their unique geology and climate. From limestone spring creeks to rugged alpine drainages and big Western rivers, you’ll find a range of habitats that support vibrant populations of brook, brown, cutthroat, and rainbow trout. Each offers its own style of fishing, scenery, and challenge, and this variety is a big reason America is spoiled with so many legendary trout waters.

1. Upper Connecticut River (New Hampshire/Vermont)

Brown, brook, and rainbow trout (not to mention landlocked salmon) make the Upper Connecticut above and below Lake Francis one of the top angling destinations in New England.

2. Nesowadnehunk Stream (Maine)

The Nesowadnehunk (and Nesowadnehunk Lake) is a major brookie hotspot edging Baxter State Park, delivering trout and scenery in equal measure.

3. Beaver Kill (New York)

Few trout streams in America have been celebrated as long as the Beaver Kill in the Catskills, which supports wild brookies, as well as both wild and stocked brown and rainbow trout. Roscoe (aka “Trout Town, USA”) lies at the confluence of the Beaver Kill and Willowemoc Creek.

4. Nantahala River (North Carolina)

North Carolina’s record brown trout, a 24-pound, 10-ouncer, was pulled from the Nantahala, which offers fine angling for rainbow trout. This beautiful Southern Appalachian stream is a popular destination for both fly-fishing classes and competitions.

5. White River (Arkansas/Missouri)

Heading into the Boston Mountains, the White River is synonymous with outstanding trout fishing, with multiple outstanding stretches. In the words of John Ross in Trout Unlimited’s Guide to America’s 100 Best Trout Streams, the White “is perhaps the longest and arguably the best series of tailwater trout fisheries in the United States.” The reach below Bull Shoals Dam is especially well-known for big browns.

6. Au Sable River (Michigan)

Long ago declared a Blue Ribbon Trout Stream by the State of Michigan, the Au Sable, a great place to cast for brownies, brookies, and rainbows, is cemented in the annals of American angling: it was along its banks that Trout Unlimited was first conceived of back in 1950.

7. Bois Brule River (Wisconsin)

This beautiful stream, draining boreal-flavored conifer and hardwood forest on Wisconsin’s Lake Superior shore (which is fully contained within the Brule River State Forest) offers outstanding fishing for lake-run brook and brown trout as well as steelhead.

8. Fryingpan River (Colorado)

World-class opportunities for browns and rainbows give the lower reach of the Fryingpan between the Ruedi Dam and the river’s mouth in the Roaring Fork Gold Medal status: one of no fewer than 14 such streams designated by the Colorado Wildlife Commission for their trout caliber.

9. South Platte River (Colorado)

Easily reached from Denver and Colorado Springs, the South Platte (another Gold Medal drainage) serves up some of the most sought-after trout tailwaters in the West, host to such iconic stretches as the Dream Stream below Spinney Reservoir and the photogenic flow through Cheesman Canyon.

10. North Platte River (Wyoming)

Rising in North Park in the Southern Rockies and flowing 700-odd miles to meet the South Platte in the Great Plains of Nebraska, the North Platte is just as prized a trout fishery, with a Gold Medal reach in Northgate Canyon and other angler heavens downstream in Wyoming, as along the tailwaters between Seminole and Pathfinder reservoirs.

11. Madison River (Montana)

Born where the Firehole and Gibbon rivers merge on the Yellowstone Plateau, the Madison is a world-famous trout-fishing mecca from here to where it joins with the Jefferson and Gallatin at Three Forks to make the Missouri. The warm-water influence of the Firehole, which drains several major Yellowstone geyser basins and is its own prized fly-fishing stream, is a unique feature of the Upper Madison.

12. Gallatin River (Montana)

The Gallatin, where many of the fly-fishing scenes in A River Runs Through It were filmed, is another Greater Yellowstone river esteemed for its rainbow and brown trout. Most of it is closed to fishing from boats.

13. Yellowstone River (Montana)

The longest undammed river in the Lower 48, the Yellowstone offers by far some of the best trout fishing in America. It’s a ridiculously beautiful place to cast, whether you’re wading or floating. While the most all-around celebrated stretch may be Yellowstone's meandering through the Paradise Valley between Yellowstone National Park and Livingston, Montana, the whole river has potential. That includes the far headwater reaches above Yellowstone Lake in the Thorofare region, which offers some of the most remote high-quality angling in the contiguous U.S.

14. South Fork Flathead River (Montana)

Speaking of remoteness, more of it awaits you along the South Fork Flathead, which rises in the huge (and grizzly-fied) backcountry of the Bob Marshall Wilderness. Those willing to make the journey by foot or horseback find some of the finest angling for wild cutthroat in the country (and one of the few drainages in Montana where you can legally cast for bull trout).

15. Bighorn River (Montana)

The Bighorn is one of those rivers that lives up to the hype. It's loaded with wild trout, and you've got a real shot at landing something memorable every time you're out there. This water stays cold and consistent below Yellowtail Dam year-round, which means the bugs hatch as they should, and the fish stay active. Whether fishing dries, nymphs, or streamers, there's water that'll fish well.

16. Clearwater River (Idaho)

Draining another great complex of Northern Rockies wildlands, the Clearwater (which enters the Snake River at Lewiston) is another top-notch place for cutthroat (especially up the North Fork, one of the best wild trout streams in America) and also famous for its steelhead.

17. Henry’s Fork (Idaho)

Henry's Fork is an iconic trout river in the West, favored for dry fly fishing and big rainbow trout challenge even the most experienced anglers. This spring-fed branch of the Snake River remains clear and cold, carving out textbook trout habitat from Box Canyon downstream through the famous Railroad Ranch.

18. South Fork of the Snake River (Idaho)

Flowing through rugged canyons, the South Fork is one of the country's best strongholds for native cutthroat trout. Anglers also see steady action for browns and rainbows across its long, varied trout waters. With healthy spawning tributaries and year-round productivity, the South Fork delivers classic Idaho beauty paired with outstanding chances at wild fish in wild country.

19. San Juan River (New Mexico)

One of the most renowned trout rivers in the Southwest, the San Juan below Navajo Dam attracts anglers from everywhere with its steady flows and abundant trout. The San Juan is especially famous for producing trophy trout, including many over 20 inches caught by anglers.

20. Deschutes River (Oregon)

From its upper reaches in the Cascades to its legendary lower flow through rimrock canyons to the Columbia, the Deschutes is another near-mythic trout stream, host to some of the best casting in the Northwest for brook and rainbow (including redband) trout and steelhead.

21. North Umpqua River (Oregon)

The North Umpqua, which cuts a rugged and ravishingly beautiful course through southwestern Oregon’s Cascades, is easily one of the most celebrated steelhead streams in the Northwest and, without question, among the best fly-fishing destinations in the world.

22. Kern River (California)

A mighty, canyon-carving river draining the west slope of the Sierra Nevada, the Kern is a trout obsessive’s dream, with grand scenery backdropping opportunities to catch not only brown and non-native rainbow trout but also endemic Kern River rainbow trout, Little Kern golden trout, and California golden trout.

23. Green River (Utah)

This famous tailwater below Flaming Gorge Dam ranks among the best in the West for consistent action, clear flows, and long reaches suited to dry fly fishing. Its cold, spring-fed release keeps trout happy all year, and dense mayfly hatches give this entire river the feel of a classic spring creek.

24. Kenai River (Alaska)

The Kenai River made this list for good reason: massive rainbows, serious salmon runs, and those wide turquoise currents fed straight from glaciers. Throughout early summer into fall, trout fishing is excellent as they are gorging on eggs and whatever else washes down from the tributaries.

Fuel Your Next Fishing Adventure with Mountain House

The next time you’re headed out to fish the great outdoors, be sure to check our river trip packing list and plan ahead with our tasty, easy-to-prepare meals for fishing trips! 

Mountain House meals bring great taste, long-lasting reliability, and comfort backed by decades of freeze-drying expertise. Fresh ingredients, flavorful recipes, and our time-tested process support our 30-Year Taste Guarantee, giving anglers dependable food anywhere your trip takes you.