# Lake Trout Tips



## backcountry (May 19, 2016)

I'll be at Fish Lake multiple days for a family vacation and I have ZERO experience with lake trout. I have gleaned some good information from folks here about basic ways to target them.

But, I'm vague on what tackle people use. We'll have a couple short medium heavy ice rods & each of us is bringing a standard rod as well.

What power rod do most people use when targeting them at Fish Lake?
What weight line? Minimum?

I ask as we have a range of gear and I'm trying to hone one setup for that purpose. I've prepared everyone for the reality we could get skunked with them but I would hate to hook into something big and just snap it off. I looked up some details and noticed people catch 20+ lb ones during the summer and got a little nervous. Its fair to say I am an absolute newb when dealing with the potential of fish over 10 lbs.


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

When I caught my 35" laker up here last winter it was on 20lbs braid. It was a custom built rod, but they were 42" long and fairly stout. Up here big copper spoons tipped with whitefish produce well, and adding a green flashing led light 12" above the lure seems to help a lot


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## taxidermist (Sep 11, 2007)

Never targeted Macs in the winter at Fish Lake. I do go after them at the Gorge, and as JC stated.... Braided line. Braid doesn't stretch and delivers a solid hookset on their hard mouths when fishing deep water. I use 15# braid with a 2-3' 20# fluorocarbon leader. My rod is a 5' heavy casting rod with a level wind reel. Gamakatsu jig hooks (sharper than most) in 3/8-1/2oz. weights and use plastic tubes (4-6" with cut bait) Bigger spoons as cake mentioned work well. Take a vast variety of lures and scents to use on the jigs. Bloody Tuna has served me well for Lakers. 

You'll need to go to the East side of the lake in deeper water 60-100') with structure (rocks, drop-offs transitioning to deeper waters) a good sonar, flasher will help in finding suspended fish. Plan to move around and be patient. They can be hard to find and make for a rewarding time if you get on them. Best of luck and have a great time!


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## Catherder (Aug 2, 2008)

I've caught a few, but they can be hard to catch. Jigs tipped with chub, sucker or perch tend to bring the most results. Prepare for a lot of looks and few hits on most days.


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## backcountry (May 19, 2016)

I'm fully guessing we'll get skunked but want to give it a try and start learning.

I have an old b&w Hummingbird fish finder that I'll bring but is it silly to even try without a flasher? I just can't afford one of those things anytime in the near future BUT it sounds like they actually help you see lure + fish approach.


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## PBH (Nov 7, 2007)

I use the exact same spinning rod that I troll with at Minersville in the summer, and Lake Powell in the fall. I'm guessing it has 8lb mono on it.

My suggestion is to grab your favorite rod -- unless it's one of those short icefishing rods. I often wonder what I'd do if I was using one of those and hooked a 20lb lake trout!


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## Packout (Nov 20, 2007)

PBH said:


> I use the exact same spinning rod that I troll with at Minersville in the summer, and Lake Powell in the fall. I'm guessing it has 8lb mono on it.
> My suggestion is to grab your favorite rod -- unless it's one of those short icefishing rods. I often wonder what I'd do if I was using one of those and hooked a 20lb lake trout!


You'd ice it, just like you'd land a 10+ lb trout on a 5 weight rod in a stream. I have faith in you.

Good luck Backcountry. My family has spent about a hundred hours ice fishing for lake trout at Flaming Gorge and have yet to land one.... They won't even go with me lake trout fishing anymore. haha It seems like someone needs to show a beginner the ropes with them. I hope you catch one!


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## PBH (Nov 7, 2007)

backcountry said:


> I have an old b&w Hummingbird fish finder that I'll bring but is it silly to even try without a flasher?



that old b&w hummingbird fish finder will show the lure and fish approach too.
That being said -- we fished for a lot of years up at Fish Lake without any electronics at all. Now, two of us use them. 

There are two things sonars will do for you:
1. Give you confidence that you are not fishing a barren desert.
2. Frustrate the hell out of you because you'll see all those fish that won't touch your bait.



FWIW -- the biggest lake trout we've caught at Fish Lake have been fishing in closer to the weeds (<40ft of water) fishing for splake and perch. 
If you figure it out on your first try, please let the rest of us know what we're doing wrong.


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## PBH (Nov 7, 2007)

Packout said:


> You'd ice it, just like you'd land a 10+ lb trout on a 5 weight rod in a stream. I have faith in you.


Correction: I'd TRY to ice it. 


Reminds me of the time I was fishing the Anchor River for steelhead with my younger brother. He hooked something good -- really good. The fish immediately started to run straight for the ocean, and SNAP! The rod busted at the handle! My brother looked at me, defeated, and shrugged his shoulders. I lunged to him, grabbed the two sections of rod and yelled "you've still got it!!". Needless to say, he lost the fish, but it wasn't due to a lack of effort!


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

PBH said:


> Correction: I'd TRY to ice it.
> 
> 
> Reminds me of the time I was fishing the Anchor River for steelhead with my younger brother. He hooked something good -- really good. The fish immediately started to run straight for the ocean, and SNAP! The rod busted at the handle! My brother looked at me, defeated, and shrugged his shoulders. I lunged to him, grabbed the two sections of rod and yelled "you've still got it!!". Needless to say, he lost the fish, but it wasn't due to a lack of effort!


I've employed that technique on sockeye in the Russian a few times, with mixed results. The only consistent outcome has demonstrated just how awful fiberglass splinters are to remove from my hands.


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## taxidermist (Sep 11, 2007)

Cake, that's one of many reasons why I build 90% of the rods I use. I had an Abu Garcia Rod break with a catfish on the business end one day and lost it. Since then, I have been making my own rods. All my Kokanee, Catfish, Laker and Salmon rods are all built by myself. It is cheaper to head to the local fishery store and purchase a $100 rod though. Just the blanks for my Kokanee rods were $145. Add guides, butt, handle and reel seat, I'd guess I'm north of $250 for each rod. All but three of my fishing poles I've made are one piece blanks. They are such great rods, the fish jump in the boat with fins in the air surrendering.


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## backcountry (May 19, 2016)

Is there a regional ethic on lake trout? On the very rare chance I catch something big....do people release or keep? I know it's a subjective question but I really have no clue on this one.

For perspective, I normally keep my limit on trout.


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

Big lake trout, basically everywhere, are usually released. What constitutes "big" can vary with most people not getting bent over harvesting pups. The size class of what is a pup tends to vary based on a given system. I would think you'd get a stink eye for killing a laker over 5lbs at Fish Lake.


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## Catherder (Aug 2, 2008)

PBH has posted a study paper on Fish Lake that shows a fairly sizable number of lake trout there are in the "pup" class but comparatively few make the jump to larger sizes. (about 26 inches and up) 

To answer the question, keeping pups below about 24 inches would probably be viewed as biologically beneficial, but releasing larger ones may not hurt. Of course, no matter what one does, there will be some soul that gets bent out of shape with the action.


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## backcountry (May 19, 2016)

Thx Johnnycake & Catherder. I'm not use to being around trophy fish potential very often, or I at least lack the skill and awareness 🤷‍♂️.

I'd assume not harvest something so desirable by others. Sounds like 24" is a common # up at Flaming Gorge to target to help the fishery. I'll keep those ranges in mind .... and enjoy the fantasy that I'll have such a choice 🤪


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

Yep, the thing with lakers (and reproducing trout generally) is that it takes a very particular mixture of genetics, environment, and time for a fish to get big. Lakers generally are pretty long lived with fish being over 20 years old (sometimes a lot over) being common. Some of them hit big sizes quickly within a handful of years while others might take a decade or two to reach that same size. Add in biomass limitations for a water body and it is easy to see how killing too many big trout can quickly change the population dynamic, same with not killing enough smaller fish.


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## taxidermist (Sep 11, 2007)

This is just myself, not expecting any other fisherman/woman to do what I do. I've never kept a Mac I've landed at fish lake. The ones I have caught, I released. (and that's not very many) I think the longest I landed was just shy of 30" and had the big head of a 20# fish, but was skinny and lucky to hit the 12# mark. 

All the lakers I've gotten at fish lake have been from a boat, never have I been able to entice them to bite my lure through the hard deck. I've found them, but they didn't want to play. That's what frustrates a person when they use sonar or cameras.


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## Daisy (Jan 4, 2010)

Mack's make the switch over to being pisciverous when they get to to 18-22" range. Before that they mainly prey on micro and macroinvertebrates. Personally I think the smaller fish are excellent table fare, where the larger fish once they make the switch to being a fish eater get very strong tasting and especially oily.


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## backcountry (May 19, 2016)

Thx for all the help, folks!


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## PBH (Nov 7, 2007)

Backcountry: There is no biological reason to release a "big" lake trout at Fish Lake. I wouldn't hesitate for a second to keep any fish from Fish Lake that falls inside the regulations. No matter what anyone else tells you, those lake trout ("big") are quickly replaced by another fish just waiting in line to fill the void left by the harvested fish.


A couple things to remember:
A. Even small lake trout (<25") spawn. 
B. Lake trout size is rarely the result of "good genetics", but rather a result of conditions. So, considering A above, that small female lake trout might be contributing "big" genes.


(if you catch one, you can feel good about keeping it....)


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## Finnegan (Sep 7, 2007)

I've caught a lot of big mackinaw (FG) but I've only killed one and that was only because it was hooked so badly that it wouldn't have survived. IMHO, large lake trout are horrible table fare - mushy and greasy. You won't likely eat the whole thing fresh and frozen mackinaw is even more disgusting. Additionally, mercury or any other such contaminants build up in all that fat. Younger pups are much better eating but still at the bottom of my list.


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