Rainbow Smelt

Average length of the Rainbow Smelt is between 7 and 9 inches and weights around 3 ounces. It is silvery with pale green back, and has blue and pink on the sides. Common names for the Rainbow Smelt are: smelt, American smelt, freshwater smelt and frost fish. It is commonly found in lakes Superior, Ontario, Huron, Erie and Lake Simcoe.

Popular Bait For Rainbow Smelt

Best live bait to use for fishing Rainbow Smelt are: blood worms, sand worms, grass shrimp and small local bait fish. Anglers often use a small sliver of meat and skin sliced from the side of a a smelt as bait and jig it near the bottom. Smelt is also a preferred bait when ice fishing for Lake Trout.

Where To Look For Rainbow Smelt

During the summer the Rainbow Smelts move out into deeper waters, usually around 1 mile from the shore in waters around 20 feet deep. As the winter moves in, and ice forms on the water, the smelt begin to move into coastal streams toward the spawning grounds. The fishing season for the Rainbow Smelt is during late fall and winter. In the fall, until the onset of winter, they can be found in bays and estuaries where they actively feed.