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Lake Trout
Lake Trout's average length is anywhere between 17 to 30 inches and can weight around 9 pounds. It has light spots on dark background with a light underside. Common names for the Lake Trout are: Great Lakes Trout, laker, togue and grey trout. It is commonly found in lakes Superior, Ontario, Huron, Erie, Lake Nipigon, Wabaskang Lake, Minnitaki Lake, Rowan Lake, Lac Seul, Crow (Kakagi) Lake, Sturgeon Lake, Red Lake, Lake Simcoe, Lake Temagami and Eagle Lake.
Popular Bait And Tackle For Lake Trout
The most effective live bait to use are alewifes, smelt, minnows and shiners. The best lures to use for Lake Trout are spinners, spoons, plugs, streamers, wetflies, nymphs and 3 way swivels for rigging for deepwater trolling. According to some sport fishermen, the absolute best lure for Lake Trout is the Sutton Silver Spoon, if possible try to find a 2 inch weightless. They are very rarely on the shelves and the bait store will probably have to order them for you, but it is worth the hassle.
Where To Look For Lake Trout
Spring: In the early spring, the Lake Trout seem to feed at various times of the day making them relatively easy to catch. During the early spring days the Lake Trout move to the shallows and will be found anywhere from the surface to around 10 feet deep. Later on in the spring, around mid spring they move to deeper waters of around 35 to 45 feet deep.
Summer: During the summer Lake trout hit best in the morning between first light and around 10:30am. They will usually be found in around 50 to 65 feet deep waters. If the surface of the water is calm and the sky is clear with high pressure, they will hit even better. Other conditions will cause them to slow down. Look at the structure of the shoreline and try to figure out the elevation patterns into the lake. For instance, if you see a cliff, odds are that the water is deep at its face. If you see a string of islands, chances are that there is a shallow shoal that runs between them. The Lake Trout like dropoffs so try to troll parallel to the string of shoals instead of over them.
Fall: Lake Trout spawns between September and November and it is the one time (aside from early spring just after ice-out) that they are most active. They will usually be near reefs or rocky shorelines because they move into shallower waters as the lake cools, in order to spawn. Whole schools of Lake Trout can be spotted on the shallow rock bars and points gathering together and feeding before spawning.
Summer: During the summer Lake trout hit best in the morning between first light and around 10:30am. They will usually be found in around 50 to 65 feet deep waters. If the surface of the water is calm and the sky is clear with high pressure, they will hit even better. Other conditions will cause them to slow down. Look at the structure of the shoreline and try to figure out the elevation patterns into the lake. For instance, if you see a cliff, odds are that the water is deep at its face. If you see a string of islands, chances are that there is a shallow shoal that runs between them. The Lake Trout like dropoffs so try to troll parallel to the string of shoals instead of over them.
Fall: Lake Trout spawns between September and November and it is the one time (aside from early spring just after ice-out) that they are most active. They will usually be near reefs or rocky shorelines because they move into shallower waters as the lake cools, in order to spawn. Whole schools of Lake Trout can be spotted on the shallow rock bars and points gathering together and feeding before spawning.
