Dipsy Diver
4.6(3,800)4.6 out of 5 stars, 3,800 reviews, on Amazon at the time this was writtenA directional diving disc that takes a bait down and out to the side — the cheapest way to widen a trolling spread.
Char · Salvelinus namaycush
Lake Trout
The native. Lakers were here before the stocking programs and survived the sea lamprey collapse in Superior when they vanished everywhere else. Deep, cold, slow-growing, long-lived.
Typical
5–12 lb
Trophy
30 lb+
Best lake
Superior
Season
Spring · Summer · Fall · Winter
Through the ice
Yes
Where to go
Lake Trout lake by lake
Ranked by how good the fishing actually is, not alphabetically. If a lake is not on this list, it is because the fish is not worth targeting there.
- 01Full guide
Lake Superior
Lake Superior holds the last great wild lake trout population in the world and you can catch them here without a hatchery truck in the story anywhere. Fish the reefs and shoals — Stannard Rock, the Apostles, the Keweenaw — and you can take fish shallow in spring and 100 to 200 feet down in August.
- 02Full guide
Lake Huron
Lake Huron's lake trout are the best conservation story on the chain: a native fish that went to functionally zero under sea lamprey and now reproduces naturally across the main basin. Fish the rock from Rogers City to Drummond Island and you will find more, and shallower, lake trout than most anglers expect.
- 03Full guide
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan lake trout are the most dependable fish in the lake — they are there in numbers when the kings are not, and they will bite in flat, hot, bright conditions that shut a salmon program down. Fish the reefs and the deep basin edges, and expect to work 100 to 180 feet down from July on.
- 04Full guide
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario has more lake trout than most of the boats out there are trying to catch, because the fleet is chasing chinook. Drop one rigger to the bottom in 120 to 200 feet along the south shore or fish the eastern basin shoals off Galloo Island and you will find them all summer.
How to catch them
Techniques that work
- 01deep trolling with cowbells
- 02vertical jigging
- 03downriggers
- 04ice fishing over structure
Ordered by how much of the annual catch each one accounts for across the chain. The lake-specific pages above tell you which one to lead with, and when.
Tackle
Gear for lake trout
Conservation Series Landing Net
4.6(2,450)4.6 out of 5 stars, 2,450 reviews, on Amazon at the time this was writtenA knotless, rubber-coated net that does not strip slime or tangle trebles, in a hoop size that actually fits a Great Lakes fish.
ECHOMAP UHD2 93sv
4.6(640)4.6 out of 5 stars, 640 reviews, on Amazon at the time this was writtenA 9-inch chartplotter-sonar with Navionics charts built in — the single most useful electronics purchase for a Great Lakes boat.
Classic Pro GLT Trolling Rod
4.5(3,100)4.5 out of 5 stars, 3,100 reviews, on Amazon at the time this was writtenThe rod most Great Lakes charter boats actually have in the holders, at a price that lets you buy six of them.
Cold Water Line Counter Reel
4.5(2,100)4.5 out of 5 stars, 2,100 reviews, on Amazon at the time this was writtenThe line counter that put repeatable trolling depths within reach of everyone with a boat and eight rod holders.
Tundra 65 Cooler
4.8(8,600)4.8 out of 5 stars, 8,600 reviews, on Amazon at the time this was writtenA rotomolded cooler that holds ice through a July weekend and swallows a Lake Michigan king whole, which a standard cooler does neither of.
Tekota A Line Counter
4.8(1,600)4.8 out of 5 stars, 1,600 reviews, on Amazon at the time this was writtenThe reel the charter fleet actually runs, with a drag that stays smooth through a 20-pound king's third run.
Jigging Rap
4.7(6,100)4.7 out of 5 stars, 6,100 reviews, on Amazon at the time this was writtenA balanced swimming jig that darts in a circle on the lift and glides back — the most productive ice lure ever made.
Categories that matter for this fish
Read next
Lake Trout guides
The Alewife, the Sea Lamprey, and How the Salmon Fishery Was Invented
Two invasive species wrecked the Great Lakes food web, and a Michigan biologist answered with Pacific salmon. The history behind every charter boat here.
Cold-Water Layering: Staying Functional at 38 Degrees in an Open Boat
A layering system for Great Lakes spring and fall fishing: what each layer does, what cotton costs you, and why the outer shell is a safety decision.
Downriggers vs. Divers vs. Lead Core: Which to Buy First
Three ways to get a bait deep on the Great Lakes, what each costs in money and deck space, and an honest order to buy them in.
Line Counter Reels Explained, and How to Keep Them Honest
What a line counter actually measures, why it drifts as the spool empties, how to calibrate one, and which reel size fits Great Lakes trolling jobs.
Sonar for the Great Lakes: What You Actually Need
2D CHIRP, down imaging, side imaging, and live sonar compared for Great Lakes work, and which one earns its money on the water you fish.
Trolling Speed, Lure Depth, and How to Know Where Your Bait Is
Speed at the ball vs. speed over ground, dive curves, and line counters: the math that puts a trolling bait at a known depth instead of a hopeful one.
Before you go
Seasons, size limits, and daily bags for lake trout are set by each state and change year to year. Read the current rulebook for the water you are fishing before you keep a fish — every state agency is linked here.