Freshwater · Spring and fall in the shallows; summer fish go deep

Lake Trout

Salvelinus namaycush

A big, long-lived char built for cold, deep lakes. Lakers cruise rocky humps hunting kokanee, whitefish and ciscoes, shallow in spring and fall and 60-120 ft down in summer.

Seasons · Peak

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Lake Trout — Photo: Lodewicus de Honsvels; derivative work by Ellicrum, CC BY-SA 4.0 — Wikimedia Commons

Identifying features

Deeply forked tail — more forked than any other char or trout
Pale grey, bean-shaped spots over a dark grey-green body
No red spots and no worm-like back markings
Large mouth and a thick, heavy body on older fish
Look-alike: bull trout have yellow-orange spots and a tail that is only slightly forked

Habits

Cruise slowly over structure following schools of forage fish
Move onto shallow shoals in spring and to spawn in fall
Retreat to deep, cold water all summer
Feed through the day, with dawn and dusk peaks

Distribution

Okanagan, BC · British Columbia★ Primary

Toronto, ON · Great Lakes★ Primary

Sudbury, ON · Ontario — Inland & North★ Primary

Québec City, QC · Quebec★ Primary

Yellowknife, NT · The North — YT · NT · NU★ Primary

Anchorage, AK · AlaskaCommon

Calgary, AB · AlbertaCommon

Winnipeg, MB · Saskatchewan & ManitobaCommon

St. John's, NL · Newfoundland & LabradorCommon

Spokane, WA · Inland NorthwestCommon

Denver, CO · Rocky MountainsCommon

Minneapolis, MN · MidwestCommon

Norfolk, VA · Mid-AtlanticCommon

Where to find them

Underwater humps and reefs, trolled or jigged at depth
Shallow rocky shoals at ice-out and again in fall
Sharp drop-offs beside deep basins

Where they live

Deep lake basinsUnderwater humps and shoalsSteep drop-offs

How to catch them

Vertical jigging tubes

Rig: 3/4-1 oz tube jig on a medium-heavy spinning rod

Bait/lure: White and glow tube jigs, tipped with a strip of bait

Key tip: Drop to bottom on a hump, reel up fast — lakers chase a fleeing jig upward.

Trolling spoons on downriggers

Rig: Downrigger set just above marked fish, spoon on a long leader

Bait/lure: 5-6" spoons in silver and chartreuse

Key tip: Troll 1.8-2.2 mph along contour lines, not across them.

Best baits & lures

Large spoons trolled deepWhite tube jigs worked on bottomSwimbaits jigged over humps

Techniques Academy →

Baseline setup

Rod: 7' medium-heavy spinning rod or 8'6" trolling rod
Line: 20 lb braid, 12 lb fluorocarbon leader
Terminal: Tube jigs, trolling spoons, downriggers

Recommended gear for this species

Rod · Best value

9' 5-weight fly rod outfit

≈ US$180-260

Covers chironomid lakes and small rivers with one setup.

Flies · Budget

Chironomid assortment (30 patterns)

≈ US$25-40

Chironomids are 60% of a lake rainbow's diet in spring.

Picks come from our rule library — never paid placements. Prices are guides; affiliate links may earn us a commission.

Typical size

Common 3-10 lb; large specimens 20-30 lb+

On the table

Good — rich, oily flesh; best smoked or baked, smaller fish best fresh.

Similar species

Bull TroutBull trout have a barely forked tail and yellow-orange spots

Brook TroutBrook trout are far smaller with red spots and a square tail

Regulations vary by area and can change in-season — always check the official rules for your area before you fish. Regulations guide →

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