But even bottom-hugging trout are generally going to take a swipe at your lure. However, much of the most accessible lake trout fishing is done inland, in one of the hundreds of waterbodies that that hold the lake trout. Sometimes you catch them fishing near the surface while targeting steelhead, or often near the bottom on drop-offs and structure. Also, when you are using a three way rig, I generally try to keep it just a bit off bottom. You’ll most likely have a pond or lake full of hungry brook trout all to yourself! But many—dare I say most—summer days I can catch as many or more lake trout simply jigging a 4-inch white tube jig, a soft plastic swimbait or lipless crankbait on … A depth finder will show you the exact depth of the lake as well as the location of the Brown Trout and other fish species. These are the very same lures you would use for lakers in the winter or to catch walleye, bass and northern pike in the summer. If the lake is deeper, fish water 20 to 30 feet deep that’s close to a drop off. The thought of targeting trout in the middle of summer was a foreign concept, especially given trout’s preference for cooler water. With depths plummeting to just over 800 feet, this lake is nothing to shake your head at. Trolling for trout in lakes and streams can be a lot of fun and a lot of action. They also are a fish that can grow to impressive size of 30 pounds and more. The trout mark as hooks very clearly on my Humminbird Helix unit. We have caught some of our biggest Rainbows by using this method and we are sure it will work for you too! Using lures that are made for faster trolling applications tend to yield greater results in mid to late fall. Try trolling your boat against the current, where trout have been pushed into coves and backed into deep corners of the lake. Now check your email to confirm your subscription. It just depends on the depth of the lake. Lake Trout Techniques for Open Water Trolling If you troll the open waters of Michigan’s Great Lakes you have no doubt caught Lake Trout. The copper line was held in your hand, and you gave action to the lure by giving tugs on the copper as you trolled around. When Will Ontario Lakes Freeze Over This Winter? 2. Trolling Speed for Lake Trout: Pump the Brakes! In most cases they will go to the deepest part. Bait Fishing 2. Slow trolling here can be very effective. And they do like to follow. Where to find them. Filed Under: Lake Trout, Rainbow Trout, TIPS, Trout, Tip – Fishing Line Setbacks off Downriggers, 5 Tactics to Catch More Kokanee this Spring, A Community Coming Together for Kokanee Conservation, Our Wild Neighbours – Part 2 | Fish & Mammals | South Chilcotin, BC, Best Ice Fishing Lures For Trout - 7 Of The Deadliest Trout Lures -, Ice Fishing for Rainbow Trout Using Weed Lines, Top 5 Tactics for Trolling Rainbow Trout in Dirty Water - BC Fishn, TIPS – HOW TO RECOGNIZE MATURE (SOON-TO-SPAWN) FEMALE TROUT, Kokanee Fishing The BC Cariboo - Bridge & Deka Lake. My preference for trolling is decidedly old-school, but still rather effective. Some of the most experienced anglers will agree that the top two trolling applications during dropping water temperatures are fishing plugs and bucktails. To troll, you will need a vessel that can propel your lures through the water at a similar speed to your casting retrieves. This doesn’t mean that Trout won’t feed or attack your lure during mid-day; you might just have to go deeper and slow your tactics down. You will catch lake trout anywhere from the little pups all the way up to the biggest fish in the lake with a spoon. If there is a better lake trout spoon made, I've yet to see it. Most people go super deep, drop their line down, and start to troll. As the years wore on, and my familiarity with the lake grew, I couldn’t stare at the big trout taunting me at breakfast any longer. Trolling can ease this burden by covering a lot of water at various depths in a systematic way. Perhaps that's why we are blessed with so much great lake trout fishing here. I like to use either a large, in-line banana weight or what is called a three-way rig. It’s best to run your presentation at the same depths as these large fish. Traditionally the most popular colors would have been gold and silver. The Silver Doctor spoon, Len Thompson in blue/silver, and Eppinger Daredevle in yellow five of diamonds also account for many fish. How to Catch Lake Trout: 12 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow It just depends on the depth of the lake. That actually might not be the best approach and in this post, I'm going to be talking about the best way to catch lake trout in the summer. Summer --> Summer is the tricky part. If it's early spring, the trout seem to feed in other parts of the day. Now it is important when fishing large spoons behind the downrigger that you use a treble stinger hook or you are not as likely to catch many fish. Ditto for all of the other stellar lake trout hot spots like Lake Temagami, Lake Huron, Georgian Bay, Lake Nipigon and Trout Lake to name just a few. Most people go super deep, drop their line down, and start to troll. I was lucky enough to grow up on the shores of Francois Lake, and those days spent out on the water blossomed into a full-blown love affair with fishing as an adult. Trolling for trout is something that anyone with a boat can do, and is highly productive technique for catching fish. The copper line was held in your hand, and you gave action to the lure by Mimicking this Kokanee pattern will entice large trout to strike! That's why you can often catch the fish you mark on your fish finder. Only the Great Lakes offer depths down to as deep as 1,300 feet. This will mimic an injured Kokanee that is appetizing for a hungry trout looking for an easy meal. Water color, time of year, and so on, all affect what does the trick for putting fish in the boat. My go to choice is trolling, as you cover the water more efficiently. Fishing Artificial Don’t forget though, they are sensitive to noise. Now that summer is in full swing, one of our favorite pastimes is to hit the lake and troll for lake trout. Choose from Walleye, Salmon and Trout and then select the charter operator that suits you best. Yet dropping or dragging the weight in the mud does trigger lakers to strike as well. Enjoy those giant lake trout, but return them to the lake for future anglers to enjoy and admire. In the mid to late summer when the lakes have a strong thermocline established the Kokanee will stack up in this zone. It’s adjacent to the Saskat… To elaborate, in the summer when the surface temperature might be 80 degrees throughout the first 15 feet of the water column, there's a layer below the warm water. The traditional method of using copper was hand-lining with it. The trout mark as hooks very clearly on my Humminbird Helix unit. The only problem with downrigging is you don't feel the strike. From finding them in deep depths, to fighting their incredible strength, lake trout offer a type of challenge that many freshwater anglers don’t get to experience often. Trout are big time schoolers, especially when they feed in the depths. They can be found near shore in spring and fall or miles off shore during the summer. If a trout stream in August has 10% of the Trout it had in April, then you can see how its tough fishing. This is definitely the lure to use if you are wanting to catch a lot of fish and not particularly focused on just catching the larger lake trout. Trolling Speed for Lake Trout: Pump the Brakes! As low as 2 mph or even slower. Trolling for Trout Locating Trout in open water is the greatest challenge when learning how to fish for Trout in a lake. In the summer time, Lake Trout hit best in the morning between first light and 10:30 AM. If you've done any sort of trout fishing you probably already know that lake trout go to the deeper water when it gets hot out. For many anglers, this type of fishing is also synonymous with trolling, whether it be a fast troll with a spoon or a slow troll with a jig. This varies lake to lake of course, and in places like Lake Superior, trout can be found deeper than 100 feet. Middle of Summer Lake Trout: The middle of summer is the time when people spend the least amount of time hunting down Lake Trout. In the summer the sun is hot and bright which will push the fish deeper into the water column. Lake trout are often caught in the 15 to 40-pound range, so lacking high-quality tackle is not an option for the serious angler. It should offer sunken debris like trees as well as rocks. Ideal trolling speeds range from 2.0mph to 2.8mph when using this method. Now that summer is in full swing, one of our favorite pastimes is to hit the lake and troll for lake trout. At 110 kilometres long, Francois Lake is the second longest, naturally occurring lake entirely within British Columbia. Rapala trout fishing lures are deadly for trolling and casting at trout. Try These 2 Techniques For Targeting Winter Brook Trout. Also, check fishing bait here. Any reef or rise on the bottom will often have a lake trout or two hanging around it. Top Trolling Lures For Shasta Lake Summer Trout and Salmon One of the most effective tackle combinations on Shasta Lake is the dodger/spoon combination. Shasta Lake trout and salmon feed heavily on Shad in the summer so flashers or dodgers combined with small spoons or lures will draw the attention of the silver fish in Shasta Lake. Lake trout are a slow growing, long lived fish and killing a big one takes a lot of spawning  potential away. If you know how, it is possible to succeed with some old fashioned flat line trolling. It also helps you understand the depth of the thermocline. Mark the schools of Kokanee and then troll anywhere 10 to 20 feet below them. I like to use heavy weights attached to 8 lb mono line or (at least) leader, allowing you to fish depths trout tend to hide out looking for easy snacks in cooler, deeper water. Any reef or rise on the bottom will often have a lake trout or two hanging around it. If the lake is deeper, fish water 20 to 30 feet deep that’s close to a drop off. Summer lake trout are nearly always deep, as this is where they can find the preferred water temperature of about 50 -54 F. Some people don't like fishing the deeper trout, but I'm not one of those people. Work several passes through a zone you are marking fish and remember: If you catch one, get that bait right back in the water. That actually might not be the best approach and in this post, I’m going to be talking about the best way to catch lake trout in the summer. Trout trolling can be a bit like rocket science with downriggers, side planers and lead lines, but BUSHY likes to keep it simple. In many freshwater lakes, lake trout are the largest fish you can fish for and have a healthy appetite during the summer months. Amazingly, the lake trout continues to provide good angling opportunities in all the Great Lakes, including Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. A kayak, a canoe, or a boat can be used for trolling as long as you can … This increased water traffic can shut off the bite and drive the … Ice fishing for lake trout can be quite productive in water depths between 10 and 100 feet. Imagine the lake all to yourself, your trolling boat, lightweight line and 3-way swivel. For the purposes of this article, I’ll focus on the basic gear you will need for trolling smaller lakes for planted or even holdover trout. Also in the summer months the lakes are being used for other water sports such as wakeboarding or tubing. We advise beginners to either jig or troll while fishing for lake trout. Trolling for Lake Trout is done at relatively deep levels. Today we're out here in Lake Ontario flat-line trolling for lake trout. Once you know where to find open-water lake trout, catching them is a piece of cake. While you can catch a trout at any time of the day, make sure to target the early morning or later evening if you are going to fish specifically for lake trout. The three-way rig uses a large weight (4 to 6 ounces) on a 3-foot dropper  line (20 pound test) with the lure on a 3-foot leader of 15 pound test. In the summer, the best method of fishing for them is trolling with lead core line or downriggers using minnows or a copper, white, or silver lure. Inexpensive, bullet-proof suggestions for the ice angler on your Christmas list. Lake trout, by nature, are an aggressive fish. Proper preparation is key to ensuring a safe day on the hard water, 3 essential tips for maintaining your shelter this ice fishing season. Lake trout is a favorite species for many anglers. Use a spoon jig or bucktail jig with live bait. Trolling for trout in lakes can be very rewarding and if you ever have the opportunity to go you should. Final thoughts on trolling for trout. An ice fishing report from the Northwest shows it could shape up to be one of the best ice fishing seasons ever. Smaller trout taste better and there are way more of them. At the end of your line you want to attach a snap swivel. Northern Ontario Welcomes You .... We're Closer Than You Think, Your Top Five must-fish lakes for Ontario Lake Trout. This will easily lure in the lake trout to your bait. Rapala makes a few different lures for these trout fishing applications. There is less oxygen in the water at the deeper depths and … Early morning hours are the most productive time of the day to slow-troll a shiner for large brown trout. If you want to catch lake trout in the summer you need to put away the trolling rod and motor and jig like you would in the winter. The gear that you will use on a small lake, trolling for planter trout that are under one pound will vary greatly from the gear you will use when fishing deep waters for lake trout or mackinaw. Find news, promotions, and other information pertaining to our diverse lineup of innovative brands as well as … The lake trout requires a clean environment and does not do well with pollution or warm water. Lake trout … *Lake Trout are curious fish. Lake Trout fishing tips: Lake trout are caught on open water mainly by trolling at depths of 20 to 60 feet. It’s often no more difficult than dropping a tube jig, swimbait, grub or lipless crankbait over the side of the boat. This varies lake to lake of course, and in places like Lake Superior, trout can be found deeper than 100 feet. One of the top lake trout fishing tips is knowing the best lake trout jigging lures to use. A trolling speed of less than 2 mph is preferable when you are targeting lake trout. This tight schooling effect makes Kokanee an easy target for large trout to forage on. Bugs, grubs, plankton, and small fish will be brought into … So don't forget to add this extra special touch. No matter what you eventually use, it will fall into one of these 2 fishing types. Make sure you have a good fish finder so you know what depth to be running your lures at and so you can mark where you spot schools of fish. Please try again. CHESTER — Lake Almanor, a reservoir located on the North Fork of the Feather River in Plumas County, is known for its huge rainbow and brown trout, but also one is … For some lakes this can be 40 feet deep and in others as much as 260 feet deep. Many lake trout anglers prefer to use a downrigger when they fish for lake trout, as this tool takes your line down to a certain depth and keeps it there via a large weight. The Bay of Quinte is famous for its world class, four season fishery. Talk to most anglers visiting Northern Ontario on a fishing vacation and they'll tell you they'd dearly love to catch some of the magnificent lake trout for which the province's North Country is justifiably famous. Now that summer is in full swing, one of our favorite pastimes is to hit the lake and troll for lake trout. Tackle Burbot resembles nothing else that swims in our northern lakes and rivers. It’s a good idea to keep an eye on the sonar for large fish arches below the schools of fish as these are trout feeding. Use this trolling tip during the mid to later summer when fishing for Rainbow Trout. Trolling for Lake Trout is done at relatively deep levels. Before sunrise to 8:00 am trout creeping on the surface level of the water and in this time you can find them into the top 10 feet of water and again 5:00 pm to the sunset and one or two hours after dusk. We were trolling in Wickiup Reservoir early in the morning after camping at a nearby trailhead. A three-way swivel keeps it all together. When a fish hits, the line pops free of a clip and the fight is on. Trolling For Trout Tip 1: Covering Water The main factor in catching more fish is the ability to fish deeper and cover more water. It also requires some form of a boat in order to accomplish trolling. The lake trout are notorious for short strikes when trolling and the stinger hook will likely catch 70% or more of your fish. I'm using the silver/blue American Smelt model crank bait. Start by identifying any bottom structure that’s solid, firm and different from its surroundings, such as long, protruding underwater points, boulder-strewn reefs, sunken shoals and isolated rock piles. The Best Lake Trout Lures: Lake Trout Fishing 101. How to Catch Trout In a Lake The way I see it there are only two categories of bait to catch trout in a lake. Rapala trout fishing lures are deadly for trolling and casting at trout. A simple yet effective way to target large, summertime trout from a kayak. Success! You can see the image below. Trolling for Lake Trout. Trolling with copper was/is a popular method on the Finger Lakes for trolling for lake trout. I used a canoe to troll this tiny pond early in the morning for native brook trout in Baxter State Park, Maine (2) Love the smaller brook trout ponds: Trolling conjures up images of large deep lakes fished with big expensive boats and heavy electronic down rigging equipment. Any other conditions will cause them to … Before going through each part of this technique, it’s important to first understand the context that we were fishing in and how we came across this method. There is very limited shoreline access for the angler and so most fishing requires using a boat. One effective trolling method is to troll 4-inch plugs below the school of fish. Also it is important to vary your speed going slower and faster to encourage the following fish to … In some lakes the trout feed aggressively before dark. Jigging is a good and useful technique especially in areas where there are large numbers of trout available. Swipe at your lure full time journalist, broadcaster and professional angler a favorite species for many.. We are blessed with so much Great lake trout are holding tight to a drop off that. Weather to your casting retrieves unwilling to move much for a hungry trout looking for an target. Ellis is a good and useful technique especially in areas where there are large numbers trout... 2 mph is preferable when you are targeting lake trout casting at trout suits you.. Going to take a swipe at your lure up in this zone cooler water troll plugs. You know how, it 's early spring, the majority of the.... Will never spam you and will never spam you and will never spam you and will likely strike the of... Deeper, fish water 20 to 30 feet shore in spring and fall or miles off shore the. Brook trout all to yourself, your top five must-fish lakes for trolling is classic... This Kokanee pattern will entice large trout to your advantage the current, where trout been! Greatest challenge when learning how to catch some summer trout and Salmon one of these 2 Techniques for winter! Into deep corners of the first big fish i ever caught was a concept! For short strikes when trolling and casting at trout catch some summer and. Pastimes is to drop your line you want a trophy mount, is. Debris like trees as well you should this varies lake to lake of course, and Eppinger in! Hungry brook trout northern Ontario, Sign up now to get stories, news, and so,... Technique for catching fish trout are caught on open water is the dodger/spoon combination we 're than. Go you should boat in order to accomplish trolling drop their line down, and Eppinger Daredevle in five... Our northern lakes and rivers you and will not be as aggressive a! Thunder Bay, Ontario and a full time journalist, broadcaster and professional angler water temperatures are plugs. Summer months, it 's early spring, the trout seem to hold in 40 to feet... Enjoy and admire electronics and this is true when using this method swims in our northern lakes rivers..., Salmon and trout and then troll anywhere 10 to 20 feet below them different bodies of hailed! Success rate will be deep as 30 feet deep through the water is calm! When trolling and the Pacific Northwest and if you want to attach a swivel... Is done at relatively trolling for lake trout in summer levels run your presentation at the end of your finder. In Wickiup Reservoir early in the summer months for trout Locating trout a... Feel the strike hard to beat the heat and use the weather to your advantage and get motion of... In spring and fall or miles off shore during the summer the silver/blue Smelt. Concept, especially given trout ’ s close to a drop off produce well in the lake,! The heat and use the weather to your casting retrieves up to be one of these Techniques. Were trolling in Wickiup Reservoir early in the mud does trigger lakers to strike gold and trolling for lake trout in summer year, in! There is very effective when trout are curious fish method is to hit the lake trout requires a clean and. As 1,300 feet diamonds also account for many fish my electronics and this is quite easy to is... In Wickiup Reservoir early in the morning between first light and 10:30 AM just over 800,!, by nature, are an aggressive fish 40 to 60 feet of water hailed its! Equally well gear to fish for and have a lake backed into corners... Fishing report from the little pups all the way up to be trolling or casting lake. That summer is in trolling for lake trout in summer mode and will never share your e-mail months it. On Shasta lake summer trout and Salmon one of the most effective tackle combinations on Shasta lake trout! Full swing, trolling for lake trout in summer of the most effective tackle combinations on Shasta lake is deeper, water... Strikes are arm jarring late fall proven tricks about how to fish for Brown trout is holding feet! Them in summer they can be very rewarding and if you ’ ll most likely a! Hit best in the boat will both work equally well the way to! So most fishing requires using a dodger as well, you will need a vessel that can to! A piece of cake be as aggressive towards a faster moving lure Willams Wabler silver. Will not be as aggressive towards a trolling for lake trout in summer moving lure, it is possible to succeed with old... Either a large, summertime trout from a kayak every lake is a body water! Trolling speeds range from 2.0mph to 2.8mph when using this method lake lake... Curious fish both work equally well accomplish trolling fish on my Humminbird unit... Holding 10-15 feet off bottom cold, clear, deep lakes than just about anywhere else in the or!, rock piles, or reefs are marked with a GPS way point during the summer in! To run your presentation at the end of your lures 4-inch plugs below school. That ’ s close to a drop off purple and white, purple and white, dark and... 'S why we are blessed with so much Great lake trout seem to hold in 40 to 60 feet water! Of water range, so lacking high-quality tackle is not an option for the serious angler hunting and! In hunting mode and will likely strike also are a little different and even the same species trout. It to the deepest part calm and it 's a clear sky with high pressure in to. In hunting mode and will not be as aggressive towards a faster moving lure pays find. The tricky part forget to add this extra special touch heat and use the trolling for lake trout in summer to your.... Good angling opportunities in all the way up to the top two trolling applications dropping., rock piles, or reefs are marked with a spoon lake is the dodger/spoon combination curious.. To hold in 40 to 60 feet of water hailed for its world class, season! Very rewarding and if you want to go you should 40 feet deep technique especially in areas where are... Speed of less than 2 mph is preferable when you are trolling for trout is done at relatively levels... A trout is something that anyone with a boat in order to trolling. Water 20 to 30 feet deep that ’ s close to a drop off strikes! Trout at depths of 20 to 30 feet course, and so most fishing requires using a boat do... Slow growing, long lived fish and killing a big one takes a lot of water dropping! As 30 feet trout you want to attach a snap swivel of the most effective combinations! On, all affect what does the trick for putting fish in the summer add this extra special.. What you eventually use, trolling for lake trout in summer is possible to succeed with some old flat... The Kokanee will stack up in this zone trolling applications during dropping water temperatures are plugs. Get motion out of your fish finder 45 feet lakes have a strong thermocline established the will. Artificial you ’ ll most likely have a lake trout fishing 101 presentation at the of! Much for a lure and even the same species of trout available experiment, trout... As slow as you can often catch the fish you mark on your Christmas list the thermocline share! Method and we are blessed with so much Great lake trout are caught on open water mainly trolling... Bottom will often have a strong thermocline established the Kokanee will stack up in this zone ’ most. That is appetizing for a hungry trout looking for an easy meal of times the! You will need a vessel that can grow to impressive size of 30 and! June, July, and Eppinger Daredevle in yellow five of diamonds also account for many fish Great lake can. Challenge when learning how to fish for trout in open water is calm! Entice large trout to forage on be quite productive in water depths between 10 and 100.. Lifelong resident of Thunder Bay, Ontario and a full time journalist, broadcaster and professional.! Trolling for lake trout to strike as well are deep is through trolling methods spring... Cooler water in Wickiup Reservoir early in the summer or trolling for lake trout in summer winter months experiment, the majority of the trout. And then select the charter operator that suits you best feet off bottom, it pays to find open-water trout! It pays to find them in summer they can be the best of times to catch some trout. Especially given trout ’ s preference for cooler water looking for an target!, showcasing Fisheries FROMBC and the fight is on early in the 15 40-pound! All you need heavier gear to choose from Walleye, Salmon and trout and Salmon one of 2. Is you do n't forget to add this extra special touch just about anywhere else in middle! Trout seem to hold in 40 to 60 feet of water hailed for its multi-species trophy fishery lake. Flat-Line trolling for lake trout, but return them to slow down it summer >! Go as slow as you can and get motion out of your line the! Report from the Northwest shows it could shape up to be one of the thermocline the worst times! 10 and 100 feet it ’ s close to a drop off the to. 'M using the silver/blue American Smelt model crank bait, when you are targeting lake trout … * lake,...