Best Lake Trout Baits & Lures to Catch Your Next Slab

Lake Trout are commonly found in freshwater rivers and deep lakes in the northern U.S. They can be found from Alaska to Nova Scotia and in the Great Lakes.

Lake Trout's preferred diet often depends on the other species available in their environment.

• Younger Lake Trout Diet: When they're younger they tend to eat plankton and insects.
• Older Lake Trout Diet: When they're older they eat more bait fish like minnows, alewives, and ciscoes.

If there aren't sufficient food sources in their environment, Lake Trout may resort to cannibalism. If there is an adequate baitfish population, the rates of cannibalism among Lake Trout are nearly nonexistent.

Smaller baits are easier to keep alive than larger baits but won't be as active, which allows for more control and a better presentation. Larger baits are harder to keep alive but are usually more active than smaller bait.

Despite the success trout anglers have with bait, using artificial lures is a great alternative when live bait is hard to come by. Always choose your lure to mimic the size and color of the natural food sources in the area you're fishing. Lures can be presented in different ways like casting, trolling, and jigging.

Understanding what Lake Trout bait to use by season can significantly improve your chances of catching these elusive and prized fish. Below, we show you a brief overview of the best bait options for Lake Trout fishing in different seasons.

As the water temperature changes, Lake Trout behaviors change as well and experienced anglers will take advantage of these changes to successfully target them. The preferred temperature for Lake Trout is typically between 40-50°F — though they can spend time outside of this range when necessary.

• Below 40°F — Lake Trout are slow and feed intermittently in this temperature range.
• 40-55°F — Lake Trout actively feed in this temperature range.
• 55-65°F — Lake Trout bites will slow as they begin looking for and moving to cooler, deeper water.
• Above 65°F — You should stop fishing for Lake Trout in these water temperatures. Doing so runs the risk of killing them or overstressing them.

In early spring, trout feed for longer and in more parts of the lake. Your chances of successfully targeting a Lake Trout will likely increase during this season! They tend to stay in the shallows in early spring when the water is still cool but will move to deeper basins as spring turns into summer.

Fishing for Lake Trout is generally best in the summer months of June through August. Fish congregate in the deepwater basins and can be targeted easily. They go deeper in the lake to about the 53°F thermal layer.

Lake Trout congregate along rocky shorelines and shoals, which makes it easier for you to target them in shallow water. In the fall, Lake Trout begin spawning as early as September in parts of Canada. However, in some warmer parts of the northern United States, they won't spawn until as late as November. Find them spawning in shallow water during the night.

Lake Trout love cold, oxygen-rich water. They do stay active in winter if the temperature isn't too frigid. In colder months, you'll find Lake Trout closer to the shore and the surface because the water at the bottom is actually too cold for them.