There is a lake close to where I live that is prime lake trout fishing. This lake sits at roughly 8000 feet, and is surrounded by some of the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen. The lake has very deep and cold waters, making it ideal habitat for mackinaw, otherwise known as lake trout.
Lake trout are a popular game fish whose habitat stretches across the northern US and Canada, and into Alaska. They are a predatory fish, aggressively feeding on other species. This behavior allows them to grow to very large sizes, making lake trout great trophies.
Lake trout fishing is quite a bit different from fishing for other trout species. Lake trout spend most of their time at depths between 60 and 200 feet below the surface. Conventional fly fishing or spin fishing gear would yield minimal results. To fish successfully for macks, it is essential that you have access to a boat and trolling gear.
Essential Lake Trout Fishing Gear
When looking for the right lake trout fishing gear, it is important to know what lake trout fishing rigs and lake trout fishing lures work the best. Knowing the basic lake trout fishing techniques will also help you to deploy the proper gear. When it comes to lures and rigs, pop gear is by far the most popular trolling lake trout gear. Pop gear is basically a long string of spinners and flashy beads, with a spoon at the end that can be baited or not. The spinners and shiny beads will act as attraction for feeding lake trout. The entire strand of pop gear will mimic a school of swimming bait fish, with the trailing spoon mimicking a wounded minnow trying to keep up with the school. This is almost irresistible for feeding macks.
Pop Gear
The ‘pop’ in pop gear comes from the noise and vibrations that are caused by the many different spinning blades. This noise is also essential for attracting curious macks.
When fishing with pop gear, make sure you are trolling the right depths. Fish finders will help you to find at what depth the macks are feeding at. Once you know the approximate depth, you will need some weight to get the pop gear to the desired depth. This is where down riggers come in. Down riggers are heavy weights that will deploy your lake trout fishing rigs at a set depth. Once a fish strikes the rig, the weight detaches from your rig and you are free to fight the fish to the surface.
Conclusion
Lake trout fishing is a wonderful experience. These fish are large, heavy, and are a handful to reel in once hooked. Also, the opportunity to cruise around a high mountain lake enjoying the scenery makes this one of my favorite summer activities. Not only are these fish large and potential trophies, but they are also very good to eat. Hopefully, these lake trout fishing tips will help you to achieve fishing success on your next outing. As always, happy fishing and good luck!
Feel free to tell us about your favorite lake trout fishing trip in the comments section below. Also, feel free to ask a question or add any tips you many have below. Thanks!
