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Lake Whitefish
Average length of Whitefish is around 16 to 22 inches and can weight about 2 to 4 pounds. It is silvery with pale greenish/brown back. Common names for Whitefish are: whitefish and Sault whitefish. It is commonly found in lakes Superior, Ontario, Erie, Huron, Lake Nipigon, Lac Seul, Lake Nipissing, Perrault Lake, Minnitaki Lake, Rainy Lake, Crow (Kakagi) Lake, Lakes Dinorwic and Wabigoon, Sturgeon Lake, Lake Simcoe, Red Lake, Lake Temagami and Eagle Lake.
Popular Baits And Lures For Lake Whitefish
The most productive lures for Lake Whitefish are wet flies, dry fliues, scuds and nymph patterns. The most effective live bait are minnows, worms, grubs, wax worms, maggots and crayfish. Remember to always use small baits and lures as whitefish has a small mouth. They will hit bigger lures like a small Rapala or Thunderstick but the hooks on these lures are too big for the Whitefish.
Where To Look For Lake Whitefish
Spring: Whitefish migrate into rivers and streams during the spring, to feed on walleye, pike and sucker eggs. When the May Flies ( Shad Flies ) begin to hatch the Whitefish will move out of rivers and stay just below the surface in lakes, feeding on the hatching flies. After the May Fly hatch is finished, the Whitefish move into deeper waters.
Summer: Best way to fish for Whitefish in the summer is by deep trolling up to around 60 feet. They hit best in the early morning between the first light and 10:30am. They will usually hit much better if the surface of the water is calm and the sky is clear with high pressure. They preffer dropoffs so try trolling parallel to string of shoals rather than over them.
Fall: Fall is the time when Whitefish spawn. They migrate back into rivers and spawn in the same spawning beds as the Walleye. During the spawn, unlike most fish, Whitefish feed only during the day. As soon as it gets dark they lose interest in food and concentrate on their eggs. Generallty they stay relatively shallow all winter, and do not move back into deep waters until summer.
Summer: Best way to fish for Whitefish in the summer is by deep trolling up to around 60 feet. They hit best in the early morning between the first light and 10:30am. They will usually hit much better if the surface of the water is calm and the sky is clear with high pressure. They preffer dropoffs so try trolling parallel to string of shoals rather than over them.
Fall: Fall is the time when Whitefish spawn. They migrate back into rivers and spawn in the same spawning beds as the Walleye. During the spawn, unlike most fish, Whitefish feed only during the day. As soon as it gets dark they lose interest in food and concentrate on their eggs. Generallty they stay relatively shallow all winter, and do not move back into deep waters until summer.
