Pokémon Go Lures, from Golden Lure to Rainy Lure, Glacial Lure, Mossy Lure and Magnetic Lure Modules explained

Pokémon Go Lures have been in the game since launch as a way to attract Pokémon to a real-world location that wouldn’t otherwise spawn.

Since then, however, a handful of special Lure Modules have been added, from the elemental lures to the latest addition: the Golden Lure. Each of these powerful items gives you the opportunity to catch something different.

Here, we explain how to get Rainy Lure, Glacial Lure, Mossy Lure, Magnetic Lure, Rainy Lure and Golden Lure Modules in Pokémon Go, along with how each Lure Module works - and most importantly, the bonuses you’ll get from your efforts.

On this page:

How do Lure Modules work in Pokémon Go?

There are several different types of Lure module in Pokémon Go, but they all work in the same way, with one minor exception.

Standard Lure Modules in Pokémon Go are pretty simple: they’re items placed on top of PokéStops to increse the spawn rate in a short radius around the PokéStop. These Lures affect all trainers, meaning that all Trainers playing in the immediate area will benefit from you placing them on a stop. This is particularly helpful on Community Days and during similar events, when Lure Modules last for three hours instead of the usual 30 minutes!

Only one can be placed on a PokéStop at a time, so if you’re trying to find a particular Pokémon, think carefully about which Lure you want to place.

Lure Modules are primarily acquired through the in-game shop, either as individual purchases or as part of the various 'box' bundles that are frequently rotated through the store. While, you’ll occasionally earn them as rewards from other means, such as levelling up or finishing a Special or Timed Research task, this is a much less common way of getting hold of them.

To use a regular Lure, simply tap on a PokéStop and then tap on the little space above the disc in the PhotoDisk – from here, you can select a Lure from your inventory to use. These are one-use items, however, so once you use it, it will disappear from your inventory.

Lure types in Pokémon Go: What do Glacial Lure, Mossy Lure, Magnetic Lure, Rainy Lure and Golden Lure do?

There are several different Lure types in Pokémon Go, but they all work in the same way: you place them on a PokéStop and wait for new Pokémon to spawn. The key differences between the various module types is simply which Pokémon they Spawn, and if they come with any other bonuses.

Here’s a brief overview of the different types of Lures available in Pokémon Go:

• Lure Module – A Module that attracts Pokémon to a PokéStop for 30 minutes. The effect benefits other people nearby.
• Glacial Lure Module – A frosty Lure Module that attracts Pokémon for 30 minutes, especially ones that love the cold. It can also cause some Pokémon to evolve.
• Mossy Lure Module – A natural Lure Module that attracts Pokémon for 30 minutes, especially ones that love mossy scents. It can also cause some Pokémon to evolve.
• Magnetic Lure Module – An electronic Lure Module that attracts Electric, Steel and Rock Pokémon for 30 minutes, especially ones that possess a magnetic field. It can also cause some Pokémon to evolve.
• Rainy Lure Module that attracts Pokémon for 30 minutes, especially ones that love the rain. It can also cause some Pokémon to evolve.
• Golden Lure Module – A sparkly lure that will transform a PokéStop into a Golden PokéStop and attracts wild Pokémon to that PokéStop. It will also occasionally attract the Coin Chest Pokémon.

Using a Lure in Pokémon Go has two main uses: increasing spawns and gaining special bonuses.

Increasing spawns

The primary reason for using a Lure is to cause additional Pokémon to spawn around a PokéStop. Not only does this give you more chances to catch the Pokémon you’re looking for, but it also contributes to your Picknicker medal, which asks you to use a Lure Module to help any Trainer catch 5/25/500/2500 Pokémon for the bronze/silver/gold/platinum medals, respectively.

A key thing to note here is that the special modules do not exclusively spawn Pokémon of the related type, but may spawn Pokémon of a certain type. This means that if you’re looking for an Ice-type Pokémon, using a Glacial Module will increase your chances of finding an Ice-type Pokémon, but it does not guarantee that any will spawn!

Here is what you can expect to spawn from each of the modules:

• Lure Modules - All lure modules can spawn anything in the current pool of wild Pokémon.
• Glacial Lure Modules can spawn Water and Ice-type Pokémon.
• Mossy Lure Modules can spawn Grass, Bug, Grass- and Poison-Type Pokémon.
• Magnetic Lure Modules can spawn Electric, Steel and Rock-Type Pokémon.
• Rainy Lure Modules can spawn Water, Bug, and Electric-Type Pokémon.
• Golden Lure Modules can spawn Gimmighoul on occasion.

Special bonuses from Lures

On top of spawning additional Pokémon, each special Lure comes with a special bonuses. For each of these, it's the ability to to trigger special evolutions in Pokémon Go, with the exception of Golden Lure modules, which work slightly differently.

• Glacial Lure bonus: Evolve Eevee into Glaceon and Crabrawler into Crabominable.
• Magnetic Lure bonus: Evolve Magneton into Magnezone, Nosepass into Probopass and Charjabug into Vikavolt.
• Mossy Lure bonus: Evolve Eevee into Leafeon.
• Rainy Lure bonus: Evolve Sliggoo into Goodra.
• Golden Lure bonus: Transforms the PokéStop into a Golden PokéStop.

Note: Both Leafeon and Glaceon can also use Eevee evolution names if you prefer (although remember you can only do this once per name).

The above methods are a reference to the main-series games, where certain Pokémon require proximity to magnetic fields, for example, to evolve.

It’s also worth noting another key difference between Golden Lures and the other special Lures: you can only hold one Golden Lure in your bag at a time, so if you currently have a Golden Lure, you cannot collect another. Keep this in mind while hunting for Gimmighoul coins!

How to get elemental Lures in Pokémon Go

The only guaranteed way to get a Glacial Lure, Mossy Lure, Magnetic Lure and Rainy Lure is from purchasing them in the in-game shop. These Lures are all priced at 180 Coins each, versus the 100 Coins for a standard Lure module.

These lures have also appeared as a one-time reward for certain questlines, so it's worth keeping an eye out for when they appear. For example, on the Rainy Lure's debut, the final step of the coinciding Luminous Legends X event offered one as a reward.

You can get Golden Lures in Pokémon Go by pairing your game with a copy of Pokémon Scarlet/Violet on the Nintendo Switch.

And unlike the rest of the Lures in Pokémon Go, you can only hold one at a time and there's no guaranteed to get one in the first place.

To do this, you obviously first need a Nintendo Switch and a copy of either Pokémon Violet or Pokémon Scarlet, along with a Postcard in your Postcard Book in Pokémon Go.

First you need to pair your two devices. To do this, open Scarlet/Violet on your Nintendo Switch. In game, press the X Button to access the in-game menu, then select Poké Portal. Next, select 'Mystery Gift', followed by 'Connect to Pokémon GO' and then 'Pair with a Pokémon GO account'.

Your game will then search for a Pokémon GO account. Now, in Pokémon Go, click the Pokéball menu and then click Settings at the top right of the screen. Scroll down to Connected Devices and Services, and wait for the two devices to recodnise each other. Once your Switch flashes up your Pokémon Go Trainer Name, select 'Yes' to complete pairing.

This only needs to be done once. Everything below can be done once per day.

In Pokémon Scarlet/Violet

Press the X Button to access the in-game menu, then select Poké Portal, Mystery Gift, Connect to Pokémon GO.

Once you've sent the Postcard from Pokémon Go, you will see an animation of you recieving a sparkly golden gift!

In Pokémon Go

Navigate to your Item Bag and scroll down to the Postcard Book in the Gifts section of your inventory. Click it and select a Postcard that you have pinned but haven’t sent to Scarlet or Violet. Click the hamburger menu in the bottom tight corner and then click Send to Nintendo Switch.

All this will nab you the item Coin Bag. Fittingly, this works as an Incense – the mobile equivelent of the stationary Lure – and spawns Gimmighoul at your location for 30 minutes as you walk around in the real world.

Do this for a few days and you should get a Golden Lure. While the exact number of days is yet to be confirmed, testing and community reports suggest this starts at the five-day mark, although this isn’t guaranteed – so if you don’t get a Lure when you expect to, just keep trying!

And remember, you can only have one Golden Lure at a time, so don’t forget to use it!