The American lake trout, or lake char, is one of the most popular fish among North American anglers. This freshwater fish has a dark green body with yellow spots, and lives mainly in cold and deep lakes. Due to overfishing, the natural population has decreased but many are found in lakes from the American Midwest to Canada.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Choosing Bait and Equipment
Step 1. Use a light rod with 4 to 6 lbs line
This is best for trout to use and allows you to use different techniques to catch fish. The light line makes less friction with the water so you can throw it to the bottom of the lake with ease.
- Some trout can weigh over 15 pounds, for which you will need a stronger rod. If you know you are fishing in a lake where there are such heavy fish, bring such a rod as well.
- Use an open reel with a thin line. Make sure you put the reel in the right direction.
- Use 6 or 10 hooks.
Step 2. Choose a bait that looks like normal bait fish
Since lake trout feed on several native species, the best lures are those that most closely resemble individual species. If you don't know what's best, ask around. Local fishermen will be able to tell you what to use to catch trout.
- Lures and light spinners are generally the best choices.
- Add metal or beaded siding to further attract trout.
Step 3. Use bugs, minnows, and salmon as live bait
If you prefer live bait these three options are usually the best. As always, ask around fishing shops or other fishermen to find out what the local fish eat. Fish have different preferences depending on the season and the region.
Part 2 of 3: Using Effective Techniques
Step 1. Use a depth gauge
Since catching trout depends a lot on finding out how deep they are, having a depth gauge can determine success or failure. Lake trout prefer waters around 10 degrees. Depth and feeding habits change with weather conditions..
- In early spring and autumn the trout are at depths between 10 and 13 meters.
- In late spring and summer they go lower, between 15 and 19 meters.
- When it is cold and the lakes are frozen the trout are closer to the surface, at about 3 meters.
Step 2. Try using jigs
This technique is particularly suitable in places where fish are concentrated, so it is best to try it in well-supplied lakes. Use a spoon or white jig, and as bait a fish or piece of fresh meat. Throw the line near the bottom of the lake and let it go up slowly, shaking it slightly so as to make the bait look like a wounded fish and thus attract the trout.
- This technique does not require a particular line or rod. Make sure the jig is half to three quarters of an ounce light.
- This technique is more effective from a boat than from the shore.
Step 3. Trawl fishing when trout are dispersed
Trawling is a better technique when the fish are not concentrated in schools but scattered around the lake. In trawl fishing you have to go around looking for fish. Make sure you use a depth gauge and maybe even an ecometer. You can use this technique from a boat or shore as long as you can cast the line deep enough. To trawl, do the following:
- Use a spinning reel or spinning reel (baitcaster) and any rod with weighted line. Attach a weight so that you can cast the line to the right depth and drag the hook without it rising to the surface. Weight is determined by your speed and the season. Use a light lure or a spoon, or a small live bait hooked to the lip hook.
- Move the boat to the center of the lake and use depth gauge and ecometer to find a good place to start. Once you reach the desired depth, start towing at low speed. The key is to go very slowly.
Step 4. Always look at the line
The large trout after biting the bait will slowly move away. You will need to feel and look at the line to see if you have caught anything. Small trout will fly away quickly causing a strong vibration in the line. Raise the rod 30 - 60cm to better hook the trout once it has bitten the bait.
- Slowly collect the trout by holding the rod above your head.
- Remove the trout from the hook and put it in a freezer or throw it back in water.
Part 3 of 3: Finding Lake Trout
Step 1. Search North American lakes
The largest concentration is found in Ontario, Canada, where about 25% of the world's lake trout population lives. They are normally found in lakes as far as Kentucky. They have also been introduced in some lakes in Europe, Asia and South America.
- Lake trout are so popular with anglers that the natural population has been decimated. To meet the demand of fishermen they are kept in lakes.
- Because they love cold waters, they are more difficult to find in warm areas like the southern United States.
Step 2. Look for them in cold, deep water
Lake trout like to stay where it is colder. It will therefore be easier to find them in dark and deep waters rather than in a warmer and shallower lake. Search the region where you are or ask the fishermen where the deepest lakes are.
Step 3. Fish for trout all year round
Trout can be caught in any season. It is important to know where they like to stay depending on the weather conditions: during the summer they are found in the deepest and coldest points of the lake. When lakes freeze they like to stay closer to the surface as the shallow waters are cold enough for them.
- Once you have found a good spot to fish in a given season, come back the next season and you will likely find plenty of them again.
- If there is a period of the year in which it is more difficult to catch trout, it is mid-summer, when the lakes are warmer and the trout go to the maximum depths. It is more difficult to understand where they are and to reach them with the line.
Step 4. Fish near slopes or ledges
Trout are often found near natural slopes or ledges since the water in these points tends to be deeper and colder. If you are fishing from the shore, it is better if you stand close to a slope instead of casting your line where the slope is more gradual.
Step 5. Look near the nutrition zones
Trout feed on smaller fish and plankton and are often found under schools of fish. They go under waiting to find a fish close enough to eat. These small fish feed on aquatic vegetation. If you are fishing from a boat, go to a spot full of vegetation to see if any trout are hiding under the schools of fish.
