The Cayuga Fisher

Jigging for Lake Trout:  Behavior Index

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Lake Trout Behaviour:

Locating lake trout is half (or more!) the challenge of fishing for them.  In the big picture, lake trout can be found almost anywhere in the lake, probably near bottom.  From surface dwelling summer fish in Canada to deep-dwelling temperate climate trout, lakers are a very opportunistic and flexible fish.  They evolved with the ebb and flow of glacial periods, living in the lakes formed from the great meltwaters at the glacial boundry.  Lakers loved these massive, cold, changing waters and thrived, following the glaciers south during every advance, north when it warmed, and very importantly- some stayed behind in lakes formed during the glacial retreats.  As such, the native habitat is North America, wherever cold water exists and glaciers have been.  Due to variations in ice coverage at different periods, different populations of lake trout stayed in different lakes!  There are at least four strains of lakers from seperate glacial events scattered across the continent.   The "ciscowet", a deep water Great Lakes strain, is probably the best known of these.  

For the purposes here, I'm going to assume you have located such a body of water, and you are confident before setting forth that this lake contains lake trout. Generally fish will be scattered throughout the lake, but there are always concentrations of fish to target- this will make everyone's day on the water a little more fun. This will be focused primarily on the Finger Lakes and similar deep temperate climate lakes. Adjust shallower in summer as you move North, deeper for crystal clear water, and it's a good start. Always keep in mind the local conditions of the lake you are fishing, from resident baitfish to basin structure and climate.

Lake trout are big brook trout. They may inhabit open water, but at heart, a laker is a brookie's big brother, and not surprisingly they act much like stream trout.  Lake trout are structure, baitfish, and bottom oriented fish.  When fishing for lakers, look for the same things you'll see in the streams chasing trout.  Find underwater outcroppings, points, cutouts, flats, drop-offs, and eddies, and you'll find fish.  If the same structure holds baitfish too, that's good!  Lakers also exhibit the same agressive behavior as brookies, hitting jigs multiple times before hooking themselves.  They will relate to almost any kind of structure, but they prefer certain kinds at certain times of the year.  Look for lake structure and habitat based on the depth of the thermocline and you'll have a good start.

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