In the spring Lake Trout can be caught close to the surface just about anywhere in Slender and Pipestone Lake. Sometimes they make their way into the smaller lakes and in the rivers but generally as soon as the ice is out they head to the main lakes to wait for the May Flies to hatch. This is the easy time to catch them for people not experienced with deep-water fishing. In early spring many of our guests are in the shallows casting for Walleye and Pike and get a big surprise on their lines.

Most guests come to Ontario for the Walleye fishing but to residents, Lake Trout are a prestigious fish and much in demand because of their delicious mild flavor. Many of the negative rumors you have heard about Lake Trout are not true. They fight like hell and are not an oily fish. The flavor is many times superior to Rainbow Trout or Salmon. If you bake them with Turkey stuffing, Lake Trout may become your favorite fish to eat.

Lake Trout get to be monstrous is size. Pipestone Lake has a high population of Lake Trout because not many people fish for them, there is an abundance of deep water food and the lake is free from pollution thus the acidity levels are neutral. There have been a few Lake Trout over 40 pounds caught over the years but a fish like that is extremely rare. Many people do not appreciate this but the population of Lake Trout is an environmental indicator. Lake Trout are the first fish to suffer from pollution because of their environmental sensitivity. The Clearwater/ Pipestone chain of lakes is as pure and clean as it gets and we have the fantastic fishing to prove it.

Lake Trout are very common in the 1 to 7 pound range. Guests who specifically target Lake Trout should catch a few during the week that range somewhere between 8 and 12 pounds. That's not saying you will not catch a bigger trout. Slender Lake and Pipestone Lake have a lot of food. Out in open water there are massive schools of Whitefish, Lake Herring and Cisco, which the Lake Trout gorge themselves on. Every year we have a few guests catch Lake Trout that are in the 13 to 20 pound range. Throughout the years there have been Lake Trout as big as 40 pounds caught on the lake. You cannot expect to catch a monster like that. Lake Trout fanatics can fish for many years and never catch one half that size but knowing they are there adds to the adventure. There are times you will see on your graph some of the largest arches ever, over half way across the graph and 100' on the bottom. Only monster lakers hang out there and if you do hook onto one, all i can say is hang on as they are one of the hardest and heaviest fighting freshwater fish we got. Many a person has lost their rod, softly holding it thinking they are soft nibblers like a walleye. They bite and run, peeling off line and testing the drag on your equipment, sending your heart racing as the adrenalin pumps to the zing of your drag.

Early morning until 10:30am and in the evening after dinner is the best times for catching Lake Trout. This is not always true. On some days the Lake Trout can feed for 15-minute intervals every 2 hours. They are fun to catch and great to eat but they can also be a very frustrating fish to fish for because they are not as predictable as other species, which is the main reason not many guests fish for them.

If you like fishing for Lake Trout as well as other species during the same vacation then Clearwater Lodge is your perfect destination.

Best Lake Trout Casting Lures: