What You Should Know Before Fishing for Lake Trout

There are few things more exciting than targeting a new species for fishing for the first time. It’s a fun way to stay sharp and make the sport feel new to you again.

If you’re fishing in the Northern United States or Canada for the first time, you may be new to fishing Lake Trout. In that case, there are some things to know about the species before heading out onto the water for the first time. Here are a few of them:

Where To Find Them

Lake Trout are actually a pretty rare fish, all things considered. They’re native to the Great Lakes, New England, Montana, Alaska, and Canada. They’re artificially stocked in other parts of the world but can mostly be found in the Northern US and Canada. They prefer cold, freshwater, clean lakes with plenty to eat. You may find them close to the surface during the spring and fall, but as the temperature warms, they tend to swim as far as 80 feet deep.

How Big They Are

Lake Trout have quite the size range, depending on where exactly you’re fishing them. In some places, they may be as small as three to eight pounds. Other places, the average Lake Trout will be more than 30 pounds. It’s not exceptionally uncommon for them to exceed 50 pounds, and at least one on record has surpassed 70.

What They Look Like

The appearance of a Lake Trout will also vary, based on multiple factors. The fish can be light green/gray, dark green, brown, almost black. Regardless of the hue, the fish tend to have light spots all over and a light-colored belly. Lake Trout mature over the course of many years and can sometimes take on a silvery appearance when they age. They tend to have fins that orange or red in color. One interesting feature of a Lake Trout is the adipose fin on the back between the dorsal fin and tail fin. This fin is proof that despite its name, Lake Trout are not actually Trout. Rather, they are part of the Char family.

Anderson’s Lodge in Ontario, Canada is a perfect place to fish Lake Trout for the first time. We offer world-class accommodations with the best staff-to-guest ratio in the area, in addition to plentiful lakes. Make a reservation today!