How to Catch Lake Trout - Maximize Your Success at Ice Off!

As you look for the best tip on how to catch lake trout, remember these five words. Do it at ice off! The fish can be found in waters twenty feet and less. There is a short period, no more than a few weeks, where the water temperature is in the magical 50 to 55 degree range. This holds the potential for a great deal of fun, and a load of great action! If you are planning a Canadian fishing trip , consider timing it with ice off!

With the shallow waters slowly warming it is plentiful with baitfish. This is a fantastic time for anglers to have their way with lake trout. They are aggressive and feeding – what a great combination! Once the temperature begins to warm past the 55 degree range, the lake trout will disappear into deeper water. Ice off is one of the two best times to catch these fish (the other is the fall). How to catch lake trout though is a different story.

Lake Trout are taken by many methods at “ice off”. The most popular include casting big spoons, jigging with a variety of round heads and airplane jigs, bait fishing, and especially trolling.

Generally speaking, lake trout are a solitary fish. You might nail one here and one there. This is why trolling is so popular. If you do find a group of lake trout, they generally will be in the 3 to 9 pound range. Not the “monster” you might be looking for, but some dandy “eaters” !

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A wonderful thing about lake trout fishing at ice off is you don’t need heavy equipment. You don't need the set up required later in the year when the fish are deeper. The lighter set up gives the angler a lot more flexibility on the method used catching lake trout. And also makes the day a lot more enjoyable.

While you are exploring how to catch lake trout at ice off, make sure you are aware of one thing - when the season opens. Different regions have different dates for the start of the season so make sure you are aware. You don’t want to start the year off getting in trouble with the conservation officers!

We've talked about equipment, but how to catch lake trout at ice off is still up in the air. The next thing to consider is location! In the spring, lake trout will pattern their movements in relation to the bottom. As they search for prey, they move from the shallows during low light periods to deeper waters during high light periods. The movements are usually tied to rocky points and drop offs. Make note of these locations. These points attract bait fish and as a result lake trout too. Don’t be afraid to get right up tight to the point if there is a sharp drop off.

Another good location for lake trout at ice off is at the mouth of a river or tributary. These locations tend to bring warmer water as it moves into the lake. Typically baitfish feed on insects at this time both of which are high on the lake trout’s diet. The best time of the day is morning . If you are at the mouth of a large river the lake trout may feed deep into the day. Something to remember!

One last location to work is where there is a sandy bottom. A sandy bottom tends to absorb the heat of the sun. Baitfish live this. If you are having a tough time in the other locations find a sandy location if possible. It could pay some serious dividends.

Remember, lake trout seldom will suspend themselves in open water in the spring. They are attracted to the location that has the right water temperature, and most importantly, baitfish. Find these locations and you will find lake trout.

How to catch lake trout is still a challenge at times. The fish tend to spook easier than other freshwater game fish in Canada. But trolling Still remains the best method.

This is interesting. An easily spooked fish in 15 feet of water, yet trolling is the best method. This makes it tough for some anglers. Trolling often simulates the presentation to get these fish to strike, yet the sound of the motor can drive them away. Here’s a great tip how to catch lake trout at ice off.

When someone asks you how to catch lake trout while trolling, tell them it's simple. Use an in-line planer! A good planar board will have an internal ballast system that should be able to handle most types of lures and rigs. In fact these planar boards are great for pike and walleye , but can be dynamite for lake trout at ice off. The reason is, they can drag your lure or bait up to 100 feet to the side of the boat. This is great to get it far away from the whir of the motor.

This strategy can be almost perfect for these potentially jittery fish. 25 meters of line is still advised behind the planar boards, particularly if the water is clear.

The beauty of this method for lake trout is these boards can snap right onto your fishing line. When the fish hits, the line breaks free of the board allowing you to fight the fish without any interference. Make sure you continue to employ a zig-zag pattern – it will improve your luck.

The next time someone asks you if you have any ideas how to catch lake trout in the spring – you’ve got this one in your back pocket. It’s up to you whether or not you share it!

Good luck out there!!