Pike and Trout Habitat by Cory Craig
Where Are the Pike?
After ice out we start seeing pike moving back into the bays after spawn. In search of warmer water pike will lay up in shallow bays, usually in the most comfortable locations. Sometimes this is on the windward end, as the surface blown water is warmer. Most bays on Scott consist of a shallow rocky neck down that opens up into a bay of 2 to 10 feet. The pike will be settle in on the bottom, but at times you will find fish suspended or sunning right at the top. Although these fish do seem lethargic most will take a lure or fly.
As the season progresses the pike will move in and out of the bays. Being pushed out by cooler weather (cold fronts) to feed and moving back in when it warms to digest. Some bays, usually the deeper ones will hold fish all the time, perhaps due to the presence of bait forage in the bay itself. On these cold front days you will find the pike on the outside of bays or near by shorelines. Again they seem to relate to wind direction, preferring wind blown shorelines. These fish will be more aggressive as they are on the rock feeding. Fishing in depths of 20+ feet is not uncommon.
By mid summer Scott’s Lakes water vegetation appears. Mill foil, cabbage, eelgrass and a number of short deep-water plants. These areas tend to hold fish the majority of the time. Once bay temps get into the high 60’s they become less attractive to larger pike, so some bays good in spring become less productive in summer, and vise versa. Again a lot of pike still relate to the bays, out on cold fronts, in on warmer weather. A bay that is empty in the morning can have 50 fish in it by afternoon due to a warm day.
With the coming of cooler weather in the fall pike go on the feed. Windy points and shorelines provide good feeding ground. We fish in water 5 to 25 feet. A lot of these areas still relating to near by bays. These tend to be the most aggressive fish of the season as the fish bulk up for the coming winter. The deeper water vegetation still holds fish. Depending on the fall weather a lot of bays will still produce numbers of fish. One may be empty, but the next stuffed full.
What About the Trout?
At ice out lake trout are scattered and can literally be caught anywhere. Many early season trophies are caught while fishing pike in and around the bays. The best bet is trolling sand drop offs, saddles and cuts. Trout cruise the sand foraging for stickle back and other baitfish, and the rocks for leeches and burbot. Finding baitfish or diving birds is a good place to find lakers. Flowing rivers are also a good place to find numbers of lakers.
Mid summer and warming water temperature pushes the lakers into deeper water concentrating them. There are many ways of fishing these fish and is usually guide or guest preference. Some troll with down riggers fishing suspended fish from 20 to 80 feet. Some 3-way with a 10 oz weight, concentrating more on the bottom and drop offs along the side of the hole. Jigging covers the whole water column from the bottom to the surface. Flat lining may also produce working the top 20 feet. Depth finders are key this time of year, not only for finding the deep water, but locating fish and schools of bait. Suspended fish will be feeding on schooling ciscos and white fish, and deeper fish foraging for burbot. Big lakers also feed on smaller ones. It’s not uncommon to have a laker hit by a bigger one on the way up.
As the water cools in the fall the trout prepare for the spawn, coming up to the shallow reefs. Wind blown reefs of 1 to 5 feet, with boulder the size of softballs or bigger seem to be best. Shallower windy shorelines are also good areas. Fish will cruise the drop off edges till the females are ready and go on top to spawn. 48°F seems to be the key temperature to get the trout into full spawn. Inflowing rivers will hold a lot of fish during pre and past spawn.