Across all five Great Lakes, lake trout spend the majority of their time in deep water. One noteworthy exception is during the fall spawning period. For a very brief time in October or early November, lakers push into rocky shoals, islands and shoreline structure to deposit their eggs.
The author (right) and Captain Travis White recently teamed up to film a lake trout episode for Fishing 411 TV. The pair cast swim baits to shallow water fish. In areas where the lake trout season remains open year around, casting is an exciting way to target beautiful trout like this one in the fall of the year.
The opportunities to find quality lake trout fishing in shallow water can be very fleeting. Only briefly in the spring and fall are lake trout typically found in water less than 50 feet deep. In my humble option, this is one of the major reasons why so many anglers turn their nose up at the lake trout.
I’ll admit that catching a lake trout on a diving planer set to fish nearly 100 feet below the surface doesn’t rate as one of my favorite fishing experiences. The same could be said for fishing lakers with other types of heavy trolling gear such as sinking lines, lake trolls or dodgers and other attractors.
Across all five Great Lakes, lake trout spend the majority of their time in deep water. One noteworthy exception is during the fall spawning period. For a very brief time in October or early November, lakers push into rocky shoals, islands and shoreline structure to deposit their eggs.
In many parts of the Great Lakes the fishing season closes just prior to the spawning season. In Lake Superior however the lake trout fishing season remains open year around, providing anglers with the rare opportunity to target lake trout in shallow water and on light tackle.
Like other species of fish, the male lake trout show up first and linger the longest on the spawning grounds. The larger females arrive when they are bursting with eggs, do their business and return to deep water literally within a span of a few days time.
Just being in the right place at the right time can be a daunting task, but the shallow water movements of lake trout can be predictable.
WATER TEMPERATURE
Water temperature plays a key role in determining when lake trout are going to push shallow to spawn in the fall. “If there is a magic water temperature for lake trout spawning, I’d say 52 degrees is about as good as it gets,” says Captain Travis White of Keewenaw Charter Company. “It’s rare to see lake trout in shallow water when the water is colder or warmer than 52 degrees “give or take” a few degrees. Unfortunately, this narrow band of preferred water temperature may only occur among shallow water spawning habitat for a few days every year.”
In the fall lake trout push into shallow water in search of rocky shorelines suitable for depositing their eggs. Islands, rocky shorelines and shoals will often load up with fish when the surface waters hit the magic 50 degree number. In Lake Superior spawning usually takes place in October or early November. Further south, lake trout will often spawn in November and into early December.
SPAWNING HABITAT
Not all lake trout move shallow to spawn. “Certain subspecies of lake trout such
as the Siscowet (Salvelinus namaycush siscowet), live out their entire lives in open water deep water basins,” explains White. “While Siscowet lake trout might suspend near the surface over very deep water if water temperatures are ideal, they typically do not frequent rocky shorelines, islands and submerged shoals.
In the far north at places like Lake Superior, lake trout are most likely going to be spawning on granite rubble and gravel found along islands, shoreline structure and off shore shoals. Granite is an igneous (fire formed) rock that is very common throughout the Lake Superior watershed.
Habitat that features rocks of different sizes is ideal because it provides crevices that the fertilized eggs can drop down into until they hatch. Lake trout eggs that are laid and fertilized in October or November will hatch in March or April.
Some tributary streams of Lake Superior attract spawning lake trout as well. Flowing water is very attractive to lake trout and some rivers provide excellent spawning substrate for lakers.
The best streams for lake trout spawning are spring fed flows that feature icy cold water pretty much year around. Lake trout are like other species of trout and salmon that require 18 months before smolting. Rivers that feature water no warmer than 50 degrees in the summer months are required to rear lake trout.
A CASTING STRATEGY
When lake trout are shallow, they are vulnerable to casting presentations that make targeting these fish an absolute riot. The down side to casting is there is a lot of suitable spawning habitat and not all of it holds trout. A simple, but effective strategy is to lower the electric motor, set it on continuous and position the boat within casting distance of suitable shorelines or bottom structure. Make long casts ahead of the boat and keep moving until fish are contacted.
Once a fish is hooked, chances are there are going to be many others nearby. Lake trout tend to travel in pods, so slowing down and working productive areas more throughly typically pays off big time.
The author recommends special purpose jigs for fishing swim baits. This fish was taken using a Trokar Boxing Glove Jig dressed with a Z-Man PaddlerZ soft plastic body. These short shank jigs feature a wide hook gap that is ideally suited to using larger soft plastics.
SWIM BAITS
When lake trout are in shallow water they can be caught with a number of different casting presentations. Jigs dressed with swim baits rank as one of the top choices for the angler who enjoys casting. Jigs suit-able for casting swim baits should feature a 60 degree eye tie and a generous hook in the 3/0 to 5/0 range that readily accept larger soft plastics.
Recently while filming an episode of Fishing 411 TV with Captain Travis White, we came to the conclusion that the Trokar Boxing Glove Jig is about perfect for casting swim baits. These short shank jigs are available in 1/8, 1/4, 3/8, 1/2 and 3/4 ounce versions, making them perfect for just about any water depth or casting application. Of course the Boxing Glove Jig feature the wicked sharp Trokar hook in a 2/0, 3/0, 4/0 and 5/0 sizes.
Another great swim bait jighead is also produced by Eagle Claw called the Swimbait Head Jig featuring a Lazer Sharp hook. Like the Boxing Glove Jig, this new swimbait head comes with an appropriate hook and in 1/8, 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2 ounce sizes. The jig size is stamped right onto the jighead making it easy to identify jig sizes at a glance.
A swim bait body ranging in size from four to six inches is about perfect for lake trout casting applications. We had exceptional success with the five inch Z-Man PaddlerZ bodies that are made with ElaZtech a super soft and stretchy soft plastic that holds up great to the sharp teeth of lake trout and other toothy predators.
The PaddlerZ is factory scented with Pro Cure Super Gel to create a natural scent stream in the water. About every 30 minutes we would squeeze a little more herring or smelt Super Gel on the paddle-tail to keep that scent stream working.
One of the reasons that swim baits are gaining in popularity is these lures are easy to fish. Simply cast them out, let them sink to bottom and then retrieve them with a slow and steady retrieve.
When it comes to swimbait colors for trout casting, white and pearl are tough colors to beat. Some avid lake trout fishermen like to say you can fish any color you want so long as it’s white!
JIGGING SPOONS
Jigging spoons are another excellent choice for casting to shallow water lake trout. Slab style spoons like the Bay de Noc Swedish Pimple, Northland Tackle Buck-Shot Rattle Spoon, Luhr Jensen Crippled Herring and the Hopkins Shorty are good choices because they cast like a bullet and can be worked aggressively covering water effectively.
The best sizes for lake trout casting are the 1/2, 3/4 and one ounce versions. Because these spoons sink quickly, they can be retrieved briskly making them a great search bait.
Tipping a jigging spoon with a small minnow or the head of a minnow never hurts and can often be the difference between getting consistent bites or getting frustrated. It’s amazing how something as subtle as adding the head of a minnow to the treble hook improves the success of jigging spoons, but this timeless trick has been helping anglers catch more fish for generations. Many anglers who target trout with jigging spoons remove the factory treble hook and replace it with a single Siwash style hook. The single hook snags less in the rocks and also makes it easier to unhook and release trout unharmed.
This bonus steelhead hit a swim bait, putting a smile on the face of Captain Travis White. No doubt this steelhead was looking to eat a few lake trout eggs.
BLADE BAITS
Blade baits are yet another excellent lure for lake trout casting when these fish are found in relatively shallow water. I’ve been especially pleased with the Steelshad a premium quality blade bait that comes in the right sizes, color patterns and hook types for trout fishing. For lake trout casting applications the 1/2 ounce and 3/4 ounce models are the best options. The white shad, silver, gold and sexy shad colors are all good choices for lake trout fishing.
While most anglers vertical jig with blade baits, they are also excellent casting lures. Make a long cast and allow the lure to sink to bottom on a slack line. Once the bait hits bottom, lower the rod tip and reel up the slack. When the weight of the blade bait can be felt in the rod tip, lift the rod to about the 10 o’clock position. This movement of the rod tip will cause the blade bait to scoot along the bottom and bring out the signature flash and vibration these lures are known best for. Continue the retrieve by lowering the rod tip again, reeling up the slack line quickly and lifting the rod tip again to bring the bait to life. In most cases trout will crush a blade bait as the lure is sinking on a slack line or pin the bait to bottom.
RODS/REELS/LINES
All of the above mentioned trout baits are best fished with a fairly stiff action spinning rod. Presentation specific bass rods designed for fishing Ned Rigs or Shaky Head Jigs typically have the perfect action for casting lake trout baits. A medium/heavy fast action rod about seven feet long is just about perfect.
While filming Captain Travis and I used Daiwa Tatula-XT rods with Tatula 3000 series spinning reels. We loaded about 50 to 75 yards of monofilament onto each reel, then filled up the remaining portion of the spool with 10 pound test super braid. At the business end, we added about four feet of 15-pound test fluorocarbon leader using a double uni knot and tied directly to our lures.
Adding a small amount of monofilament on the reel as a backing line helps thin diameter braids load evenly and more tightly on the reel. This simple step can solve a common problem known as line bunching. If the braid is not loaded tightly onto the reels spool, when a fish is hooked and screams away, the line can cut into the spool or bunch preventing the drag from slipping properly.
A lake trout hooked in shallow water is a handful. Not only are these fish powerful, they love to roll and twist pulling out all the stops to try and escape.
HANDLING FISH AND CONSERVATION
Because shallow water lakers are actively spawning, it’s important to unhook and release fish quickly. Some might argue that it’s not ethical to target lake trout while they are spawning. Perhaps, but currently the population of lake trout in the Great Lakes has never been higher.
Generous stocking efforts combined with improved habitat conditions and improving natural reproduction has created world class lake trout fishing in Lake Superior and many other Great Lakes waters. In those areas where lake trout season remains open year around, targeting them on light tackle is a special treat most anglers will never experience.
IF YOU GO
Lake Superior has no shortage of quality lake trout spawning habitat. Literally any island, shoal or rocky shoreline can hold trout and lots of them.
The lake trout fishing season also remains open in Lake Ontario. The western end of the lake near the Niagara River mouth is especially productive. Lake trout and also brown trout spawn on the shallow reefs near the river mouth and in the lower Niagara River.
Editor's Note: Mark Romanack and his son Jake are the co-hosts of the Fishing 411 TV series that broadcasts on Sportsman Channel, Sportsman Canada and also World Fishing Network. Anglers can also find Fishing 411 TV on MyOutdoorTV. com, Wired2Fish and at the Fishing 411 TV YouTube channel.
1 comment
I now know a whole lot more for when i go fishing now.