Lake Trout in Algonquin Park

We know that lake trout like cold water.  This means that in the hot, summer months, they're usually found in the deep parts of a lake.  But, like most fish, lake trout will move out of their preferred temperature range in certain circumstances.  Being familiar with these circumstances will help us find and catch more fish.  In this article, I want to focus on finding fish in Algonquin Park in Ontario, Canada, though most of this information should be relevant regardless of your location.  

The optimal temperature for lake trout is around 10°C (50°F).  But researchers doing a study on Lake Louisa in Algonquin park found that forays into warmer water occur "at all times of day and night, throughout the summer, and in all individuals" (1).  This isn't to say that you should be fishing for lake trout all day in 10 feet of water.  But it certainly shatters the myth that lake trout are always super deep in the summer.

We figured out what the lake trout were feeding on in
Algonquin park last spring (Photo by Nicholas Kalimin:
n.kalimin@gmail.com & http://nicholaskalimin.com)

So when are they in shallower water?  As most experienced fishermen know, lake trout are generally closer to shore in the mornings and evenings.  At these times they're looking for easy meals.  In fact, the vast majority of a lake trout's diet in an Algonquin park lake can be made up of fish prey located relatively near to shore (1).  This probably explains why I was able to catch a lake trout casting a small Mepps spinner (see this older post for more details) relatively close to shore rather than using the three-way swivel trolling technique which I have since learned is far more prevalent.  

That said, targeting shallower water may not be the best strategy.  While I managed to catch one lake trout fishing on Long Bow Lake in Algonquin Park, other fishermen were able to catch their limit trolling in slightly deeper water.  At least part of the reason for this is that lake trout don't spend much time in warmer water because they need to expend more energy in higher temperatures (1).  So when they are in shallower water, they're not there for a long time.  This obviously decreases your chances of hooking a fish.  

But if and when you are targeting shallower water in the mornings and evenings, it's important to remember that lake trout will never venture too far from their comfort zone.  They always want to have quick access to colder water.  So rather than fishing at the head of a shallow bay, use your maps or electronics to find drop offs that are relatively close to shore.  That's where the lake trout will have easy access to both prey and colder water.  

Long Bow Lake (Photo by Nicholas Kalimin:
n.kalimin@gmail.com & http://nicholaskalimin.com)

Also, when searching for lake trout generally, it's important to know the prey species that exist in a particular body of water.  In Algonquin Park, many lakes do not have any prey which school in water that is neither close to shore nor the bottom (1).  And so lake trout are basically forced to go closer to shore to feed.  In bigger lakes such as Lake Huron, where there is a greater variety of prey, this isn't as likely (1).  

Keep these things in mind when fishing for lake trout and you'll increase your luck.  Just remember, every lake has its intricacies.  Knowledge is important, but it's no substitute for experience.   

(1) Y.E. Morbey, P. Addison, B.J. Shuter & K. Vascotto, "Within-population heterogeneity of habitat use by lake trout Salvelinus namaycush" (2006) 69:6 Journal of Fish Biology 1675-1696.

Related posts:
Biggar Lake Fishing
Tim River Part 3: An Unexpected Visitor (Long Bow Lake Algonquin)

Greg Cholkan is a lawyer, fisherman, and Hemingway impersonator. He works in Huntsville and Haliburton with Barriston LLP and his practice focuses on real estate, wills and estates, and corporate matters.

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