Photo: Knepp Timothy, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service / Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)
Salvelinus namaycush
Lake Trout
Freshwater
About this species
A large, slow-growing char of deep, cold North American lakes, sometimes living over forty years. It suspends near the thermocline chasing baitfish through the open water. Deep trolling with downriggers and heavy jigging reach these bottom-oriented fish.
Season
123456789101112
Depth
10 – 50 m
Habitat Spots
LakeReservoir
Fishing Methods
TrollingJiggingLure
Bait & Rig
Spoons and dodger-fly combos on downriggers for deep trolling, or heavy tube jigs worked vertically along submerged rocky structure.
Edibility & Taste
Rich, fatty orange-pink flesh with a pronounced flavor; excellent smoked, baked, or prepared as traditional Indigenous food.
Similar Species
A deeply forked tail and irregular whitish spots on a dark grey-green body distinguish lake trout from brook trout, which has a square tail and worm-like back markings.
Record Weight
46.3 kg