Tips for a Successful Lake Trout Fishing

What is a lake trout?

Lake trout is a freshwater char living mainly in the lakes of North America, and it has been known as one of the popular great game fish around the globe. Other names for it include mackinaw, namaycush, lake char, touladi, togue, and grey trout. They have a grey to green coloring with a lighter belly, and may also come with yellow to cream colored markings on their body and fins.

Since they are a cold-water species, they rely on high levels of oxygenation to survive so they inhabit lakes most of their lifetime. Although not really common, they may also inhabit rivers depending on the season.

Lake trout spawns between September and November or the fall season because it is during these months that the temperature of the water is the most optimal for their spawning. And since this season also causes them to become quite slow, it is perfect for breeding time. When the ice breaks in spring, they become very active again.

Lake Trout Fishing

Fishing enthusiasts find lake trout fishing as one great thrill because of the beauty of the fish and the nature of the trout that makes it a great water catch. When catching the ideal trout trophy, some lake fishing techniques should be mastered. The angler would need to consider the weather, water temperature, and trout feed for lake fishing. 

The best time to fish for lake trout really depends on factors like the weather where temperature and light vary. The optimal survival temperature for trout is between 40 to 52 degrees Celsius. During mid-spring, the trout tends to go deep between 30 to 50 feet under water, and in late spring to summer, they go even deeper from up to 50 to 100 feet. If you stay anywhere from 30 to 60 feet and near the shore, you would likely catch some lake trout. And when you can catch one, there is a great chance that more of these trouts are actually in the same spot.

One method that can be done when there are schools of bait-fish is trolling. It is a method to track the fish on a boat in lakes where there is no current to deal with. The use of "trolls" that come with large spoons connected to down riggers or wire-lines is very common where you simply cast them into the lake or river to find out the spot where the trout are. Trouts usually linger within the perimeter waiting for their prey which means that they gather to the shallower portion of the lake. You may use a depth finder in finding how deep or shallow the trout are.

Another important tip is to try to fish in the direction from where the wind is blowing. When the wind blows warm on the water surface, oxygen is depleted. Trouts tend to go up to catch oxygen, where the wind comes from.