The lake trout is a member of the char family of fish. Lake trout are a native species of trout in NY waters. They can be found in the Great Lakes, Finger Lakes, and Adirondacks Lakes. These fish prefer deep colder water and can live upwards to 30 or 40 years in age. These fish can attain weights of up to 50 pounds. The NY state record lake trout was broken by Jesse Wykstra in August 2003 when he landed a 41 pound 8 oz lake trout from Lake Erie. He was fishing the Dunkirk area using an NK 28 spoon off a downrigger.The old NY state record lake trout weighed 39 lb. 8oz. There is a real chance that a bigger lake trout is swimming in the depths of Lake Ontario but for now Lake Erie will hold the new record.

  Lake trout do not spawn in streams like the other members of the trout family. They do not build nest either. They deposit the eggs on clean gravel beds in the lake bottoms at depths from 20 to 200 feet deep. The introduction of the zebra mussel and the round gobies have had a hard impact on the lake trouts ability to reproduce naturally.

  Fishing for lake trout is a challenge. Most fisherman will target lake trout using down riggers fishing spoons in 70 to 150 feet of water. In the Adirondacks lakes that freeze over fisherman are able to ice fish the deeper water where these fish live and catch them using live bait and jigs. Another method that isn't so common anymore is known as pulling copper. This is a method where a fisherman in a small boat will use copper wire to drag a spoon or lure over the deepest water in the lake. It sounds odd but many a large laker has met his demise this way.

  The Finger Lakes have a very large population of lake trout. The fishing season on lake trout in the Finger Lakes is open year around. In the fall and during the winter anglers are able to catch lake trout from shore. They fish with bass minnows or egg sacs on the bottom with a slip sinker. Spoons and deep diving plugs will also catch fish as well. Hot spots are the pier in Watkins Glen, Sampson State Park, the stretch of shore line below the salt plant. Seneca Lake doesn't freeze over so these fish remain active all winter and may be caught any place along the shore line in the fall or winter.

  The Niagara River and Niagara Bar area is a fish magnet during the winter months. Steelhead, Brown Trout, Salmon, and Lake Trout collect up here in the fall and provide excellent fishing all winter. The season on lake trout on Lake Ontario and it's tributaries closes September 30th and doesn't open back up till January. All lake trout caught here out of season must be returned to the water as quickly as possible.

  Pictured here is Justin otherwise known as Bling Bling from Newfoundland PA. he is holding a nice lake trout taken from Seneca Lake in May 2004. Justin and his buddies from PA have been fishing Seneca Lake this year and having a very good year. They have been using riggers and planner boards with a wide varity of spoons and lures. Trolling 1.9 to 2.3 MPH. Running spoons at a depth of 55 feet over 60-100 feet of water.

  Lake trout in Lake Ontario can be caught from April through September all most any where across the lake. Several areas are better known for lakers though. The eastern end of the lake from Oswego over to Henderson Harbor has some very big lakers. The area off of Rochester also produces some very large fish as well. May and June would be the most productive months to plan on a fishing charter for lake trout. They are very active and the water hasn't warmed up and pushed them down to the deeper depths they normally would be found.

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