Fishing for Lake Trout in Northern Sasktachewan

Lake Trout Love the Sutton Silver Spoon

Lake Trout are native to the northern lakes of Saskatchewan, and they achieve weights in excess of 45lbs. They require large, clear, cold, deep waters to survive. During spring and fall, Lake Trout will range throughout the lake including shallow near-shore areas. Juvenile Lake Trout tend to feed on larval insects and other aquatic invertebrates. As Lake Trout mature, fish become more important to their diet.

For early and late season (just after ice-out; 10ft and the surface, Mid Spring; 35 to 45 ft, Late Spring; 50 to 65ft, this is a approximation of depths and it is not true for all lakes), use a 6 ½ ft medium-power, fast action spinning rod and spinning reel spooled with 15 to 20 lb mono. A diving crankbait or a ¾ oz flashy spoon will do the trick. For fly-fishing, try a #8 weight fly rod with a sink tip line. Tie a bright-coloured 2-3 inch streamer to imitate the small Ciscoes on which the trout are feeding. For vertical jigging, use a 6 ft medium-heavy power, fast action baitcasting rod spooled with 10 to 15 lb mono. Rig up a ½ to ¾ oz spoon (Daredevil, Little Cleo, etc.) or a 2 oz bucktail jig.

During the summer, Lake Trout dive down to depths between 65 and 100 ft (depths will vary on different lakes). The most recommended way to fish for these species is by using a 7 ½ ft trolling rod and reel, spooled with 20 to 25 lb mono. You will also need a three-way swivel with a 4 to 10 oz weight to fish depths of 80 ft and deeper. One of the best lures to use in this situation is a Sutton silver spoon.

But this is only the beginning, trolling speed is a very important. You only want to move fast enough for your lure to work. If you are moving too fast, you will have a hard time locating the bottom and maintaining a few feet off of it. A depth finder is also a very useful tool when fishing for Lake Trout. It helps locate drop offs, holes and depths that trout will congregate at. As well a decent depth finder will pick up and locate schools of bait fish and the depths that they are suspended at. When you locate a school, troll around the outside of the school. Lake Trout sit right underneath these schools since their vision is oriented upwards and wait for stray and injured fish to wonder off from the school.

Submitted by: Greg Sproat of Adventure Destinations International