Sportsman's Lodge with Ruffo Schindler, La Ronge SK

Jamie S. Chesterfield, Missouri (2006)

Lucille O. Big Lake, Minnesota (2003)

Guide information not avail. (2001)

Mepps #5

Guide information not available.

Fishing for Lake Trout
at Sportsman’s Lodge

Walleye | Lake Trout | Northern Pike | Other Species

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The lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) A.K.A. laker, salmon trout, makinaw is one of the largest freshwater fishes and is a member of the char group of the salmon family. It is a bulldog of a fish, strong and powerful and when you have one deep down on the line, you're usually in for a long battle.

Lake trout, being part of the salmon family share the same relative shape as the salmon, with a large head, and medium long body. Inside the mouth you will find teeth not only on the jaws but also on the roof of the mouth and the tongue. Lakers have a pronounced fork in their tails with a dappled appearance. Light colored spots cover a grey to brown to green sides. The darker base color of the lake trout can vary depending on habitat.

Lakers prefer cold, deep water - although the lake trout will frequent relatively shallow areas just after ice-out or if the lake is in the far north and the surface water rarely gets above 55 degrees.

Many moderately deep lakes "stratify" in summer, with a warmer layer at the top (epilimnion); a layer where the water temperature changes sharply (thermocline) and further down - a cold, bottom layer (hypolimnion). At the height of summer, lakers prefer the bottom for cooler temperatures. Sometimes they will stay close to the very bottom of the thermocline layer if oxygen is poor or a lack of food in the hypolimnion. If it's been a cool summer, the lakers may come back to shallower waters sooner than later. Engaging in a little science before wetting your line can pay off.

This species are native to northern North America. In Canada, from the Maritime Provinces to northern British Columbia in the west. Lakers are widely distributed in the Yukon and Northwest Territories also.

Lake trout are caught commercially winter and summer with gillnets with the lakes of northern Saskatchewan and Northwest Territories providing the best yield. Anglers catch them in surface waters very early in the spring by fly or spin fishing but as summer progresses, special, deep-water tackle is necessary.

The flesh of the lake trout varies in colour from pale ivory to deep pink and has an especially delicate, delicious flavour.

Guests at Sportsman's Lodge have had success angling for lake trout with the following baits and lures:

2 oz Johnson Silver Minnows

1 1/2 oz Daredevil Spoons
(Red & White and Five of Diamonds)

Mepps #5 Giant Killer BuckTail Spinners
(Yellow, Black or Red Hair)

Spinner Baits (Single or Double Blade) —any color

Medium size Silver Spoons

The "What Do I Bring to Sportsman's Lodge?" List

Walleye | Lake Trout | Northern Pike | Other Species

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This page was last updated: February 27, 2007
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