Also known as
- Laker US
- Mackinaw US
- Mackinaw Trout US
- Togue US
- Lake Char US
- Lake Charr US
- Grey Trout US
- Great Lakes Trout US
- Siscowet US
- Paperbelly US
Identification
A large-bodied coldwater predator with an elongate torpedo-shaped build. The muscular frame delivers sustained pulling power and deep, determined resistance. Fish-eating populations grow much larger than plankton-feeding forms.
- Slate grey to greenish body with a paler underside
- Back and flanks liberally sprinkled with whitish to yellowish spots — never pink or red
- Cream to yellow spots extending onto the head, back fin, and tail
- Deeply forked tail — more forked than most related species
Where it holds
- Lakes
- Rivers
Behaviour
Solitary cold-water predators whose diet shifts with age. Juveniles feed on zooplankton and invertebrates, maturing into opportunistic fish-eaters on whitefish, cisco, smelt, and alewife. Plankton-feeding populations stay on zooplankton for life, growing slower. Strong depth and temperature preferences — fish stack below the thermocline in 4-13°C (39-55°F) in warm months. Northern lakes hold fish shallow year-round; southern populations retreat to deep cold refuges.
Diet: Cisco, Whitefish, Smelt, Alewife, Sculpin
How it's caught
Line Fishing
Trolling
Run copper or silver flutter spoons and diving plugs behind downriggers or leadcore line to present at precise depth. Spring and autumn: 6-15m with crankbaits; summer: 15-60m below the thermocline. Stack multiple rods at varying depths until the active zone is found.
Jigging
Drop 20-30g blade baits, tube jigs, or spoons directly onto marks shown on live sonar. Work a steady 1-1.5m lift, pause, drop cadence. Concentrate efforts in the 3m zone below the thermocline base. White and chartreuse are the go-to colours.
Ice Fishing
Drill over deep basins and underwater structure, drop jigging spoons or tube jigs tipped with minnow or cut bait through the hole, and work with active lift-drop cadences. Sonar matches presentation depth to fish depth. Tip-ups with live smelt also productive.
Spinning
Cast small spinners and spoons to shoreline drop-offs, points, and submerged structure when fish are shallow in spring and autumn. Steady medium retrieve with occasional pauses. Ineffective once summer stratification pushes fish deep.
Fly Fishing
Streamer
Strip large baitfish streamers on sinking or sink-tip lines in shoreline shallows, outflows, and rocky points during spring and autumn when fish hold in upper water. Most productive in northern lakes and river outflows where fish are accessible to fly tackle.
