Lake-Trout-Fishing-Guide-How-to-Catch-1

Lake Trout Fishing Guide

How to Catch Lake Trout?

Lake Trout (Also commonly know as Mackinaw (Big Macs) or Grey Trout) are the largest of the freshwater char and can be found in North America and inhabit deep, cold lakes year-round.

Lake Trout has white leading edges on their lower fins, and irregular light spots against a back-ground color that ranges from light olive green to gray. and a forked tail.

Lake Trout Size: The common length for Lake Trout is from 19.7 inches with the largest recorded length being 59 inches and a maximum recorded weight of 102 lbs!

When to Fish for Lake Trout?

  • Lake Trout are a major game fish and can be fished year-round. The very best time of day to fish for Lake Trout is early morning from dawn until 2 hours following sunrise. The second best time of day to catch Lake Trout is late in the afternoon 3 hours before sunset all the way until dusk.

Where to Fish for Lake Trout?

  • Lake Trout can be found in shallow waters during the cooler months. In the summer Lake Trout will move out to deeper waters.
  • In cooler temperatures, if the water temperature is below 50 degrees try trolling lures to catch Lake Trout such as: crankbaits, stickbaits,jigging buck-tail jigs or spoons around shoreline structure, reefs and islands.
  • You can also catch Lake Trout by casting using streamer flies, minnows, or lures.
  • As you head into summertime Lake Trout will migrate to deep waters, these same baits must be fished off downriggers, or attached to wire or lead core lines using minnows or copper, white, or silver lures or spoons in order to reach the depths where the Lake Trout will now be. Have a great fish finder will really help to locate Lake Trout.
  • In late June, July, and August you'll typically catch Lake Trout at depths below 45 feet.
  • Lake trout can be caught and be quite productive in water depths between 10 and 100 feet using jigging spoons or by smelt, shiners, suckers, or silver, white, or copper jigs.

Best Tackle Gear to Catch Lake Trout?

  • Rod & Reel: Six to seven-foot medium or medium-heavy power bass rods. Both a large spinning and baitcasting reels will work. Ice fisherman should be equally in the 30 to 36-inch range.
  • Fishing Line: All mackinaw reels should be spooled with at least 200 yards of 10 to 20-pound braided line and run a four to six-foot section of eight to 12-pound fluorocarbon leader using a blood knot with your favorite lure attached.
  • What to fish for Lake Trout with:
    Summertime: Trolling rigs with large flatfish and Rapalas.
    Winter: Trolling with large spoons, swimbaits and tube jigs
  • Fishing with lures, use the following: Spinners, jigs with big tails, and jerk baits, flies, spoons, and inline spinnerbaits.
  • Best Lake Trout live baites includes: Ciscos (Lake Herring), Smelt, Stickleback, Suckers, Whitefish
  • Make sure there is ALWAYS a piece of meat on the end of the hook to assure they can’t detect it (he coined this term the “cookie”)

Lake Trout Trolling Rods, Reels & Line

Lake Trout Trolling Rods, Reels & Line

Lake Trout Tackle & Gear

How-to-Catch-Lake-Trout-1

How to Catch Lake Trout Fishing Videos Tips?

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