The Lake Trout

The lake trout really isn't a trout at all. Technically it's a char, like the arctic char, Dolly Vardon or brook trout.

But what's in a name.

The laker is a remarkable game fish - probably the hardest fighting of all freshwater fish. The laker's deeply forked tail provides it with the tool for tremendous speed. It makes a brown trout or black bass seem like a slug. With its great speed lake trout can catch just about whatever they want. Their primary forage is the lake cisco and whitefish. Many trophy lakers have been caught on Scott (and especially on Dunvagen) with the tails of whitefish still sticking out of their mouths.

Don't confuse lake trout with the more delicate rainbow or cutthroat trout. These are meat eaters. Small lakers (under 20") do feed primarily on zooplankton, invertebrates and insects as well as small bait fish, but the big ones go after substantial prey. At Scott we have yet to try a saltwater lure too big for big trout. And at about 40" in length, lakers become cannibals and feed on smaller lake trout.

When casting or trolling for lakers a fast moving lure is usually the best bet. You cannot reel fast enough to get your lure away from a lake trout that wants your lure. Lake trout in the far north develop beautiful markings when they approach the September spawning period. The fin edges of males turn a bright white and both males and females change color dramatically. The basic silver-sided trout of summer add bright red/orange fish and usually get a darker brown/gold appearance with bright spots. They are a show fish in fall.