Lake Trout

Small crankbaits like Rapalas, spoons, and other fish-imitating lures work well when trolled at appropriate depths. Match your lure selection to the local baitfish - often this means using lures that imitate sculpins, small trout, or ciscoes.

Lake Trout spawn in fall months from October through November making this period less ideal for fishing as they focus on reproduction rather than feeding. Best fishing is during shoulder seasons just before ice-on and following ice-off each year - typically late fall before lakes freeze and early spring after ice-out.

Trolling is highly effective, using downriggers to get lures down to the 100-300 foot depths where Lake Trout commonly feed.

Their diet varies by size - young Lake Trout feed on plankton, insects, and small invertebrates, while adults are primarily piscivorous, feeding on whatever fish species are available in their environment including sculpins, ciscoes, whitefish, smelt, and other trout.

They prefer deep, cold lakes greater than 50 feet, often found at depths well over 200 feet, and some deep freshwater rivers. In Washington, Lake Trout can be found in select high-elevation lakes and some reservoirs, particularly in the Cascade Mountains.