Fly in Canada fishing | Hearne Lake Lodge, NWT
Lake Trout Salvelinus
Description: More than any species the lake trout deserves the title of "Canada"s Northern Game Fish." It has adapted perfectly to the cold deep waters of the north. It looks like a trout, but is part of the Char family as are the Arctic Char, Brook Trout and Dolly Varden. A typical laker has a gray to green/blue back with lots of white spots on the sides and a milky cream belly color. Hearne Lake has a depth of over 350 feet in places and some of the deeper dwelling lakers have no spots and are much darker to a point of being almost black.
Size: Lake Trout grow to gigantic size feeding on large baitfish like Whitefish and their favorite prey, the Burbot, sometimes called the freshwater cod or ling. The Lake Trout can survive to over 50 years of age. Although most lakers caught are in the 5 to 10 pound range many in the 20 to 30 pound class are caught. We are learning more every year about their habits and where to target the larger fish. They can't compete with the smaller, faster lake trout and tend to eat larger bait and hang in different locations and depth. They don't grow to this size feeding on small minnows. Personally I think their feeding habits are genetic, some feeding on minnows and smaller prey and others targeting larger species of bait in order to grow to this gigantic size.
Behavior and Habitat: Our Lake Trout start to spawn in late August depending on weather and water temperature. They spawn mostly at night and will deposit up to 20,000 eggs. In our clear water you will see them on rocky shoals and close to the rocky shoreline following and circling in single file all day long. They will also congregate in the river and at its entrance where the water is only a few feet deep.
After spawning they will return to all depths in the main lake for the long northern winter. Upon arrival of spring and ice out, usually first week of June they will follow the bait fish, mostly ciscoes to the shallows and surface where the minnows feed in the surface layer and shoreline. By the end of June the bait and Lake trout will retreat to below the thermal-cline as the water temperature rises with the long sunlight hours. They will spend the next two months below 30 feet with most of the large fish caught on ledges of 50 to 70 feet. Our water is deep and cold and we seldom have to fish any deeper than that.
Light gear for June and September. You regular Bass or Walleye rigs work fine loaded with quality line in the 12 to 15 pound range. Make sure your drag is in good working order.
July and August you have to go deeper with down-riggers, lead line or weights or my favorite, vertical jigging with Buzz Bombs or jigs in the 2 oz range. This requires a stiffer rod and heavier line of course. Bait cast or level wind reals work best for jigging.
Laker Tips, Tackle Link - Lake Trout Fly Fishing Link
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