Ice fishing in lake trout is addictive because lake trout anglers will find the giant trout family. They are aggressive feeders that strike about everything. Seeing the lake trout on the ice is a little trickier.
Understanding fish behavior and temperature are essential for ice fishing. Remember, a frozen lake won’t show you the trout member as you see in the warm water.
How to Ice Fish for Lake Trout
Ice fishing has some fishing secrets that I revealed in this article. The techniques are also almost identical for perch, yellow perch, walleye, pike, white perch, etc., so your ice fishing trip will be great.
Lake Trout Ice Fishing Location
Lake trout do not move the whole lake in the winter season. They prefer to stay in the shallower area, and rock reefs, rock bars, islands, ambush points, etc.; look for the location of large and stable forage base. Trout often goes near vertical structures with clear water.
The pulsing current that moves deepwater abysses, offshore humps, or classing steep shorelines, lake trout often heading there for baitfish.
A steep drops off with 30 to 60-foot depth is another effective place to find trout. Sometimes they are anywhere in the cold-water column. Do not overlook bays as they have their structure and deep water, so sometimes trout head there late winter.
You do not need to search the lake’s deepest water; just 30 to 50 feet deep flat with deep holes would be your most incredible opportunity. After selecting the lake, break it structurally and make a detailed topographic map to locate the fishing place.
Lake Trout Ice Fishing Lures
Additional ounces of lures are effective in different depths of water. A ½ ounce is suitable for 40 feet, and ¾ ounce of lures is ideal for 40 to 80 feet of water.
Also, the lures should be matched with the condition and style. It should be loud and flashy, combined with plenty of action to attract the trout for a long distances. A large shinner minnow with a treble hook is the best combination.
Rapala jigging rap is a favorite and popular lure for ice fishing. Vertical jigging spoons, swimming jigs, tube jigs, and blade baits are also popular.
Just rig those horizontally or vertically, then present them with 40 feet of water or less. Vertical jigs are effective when it is close to the bottom. Swimming jigs give erratic vibration in the water, and soft plastic lures or tube jigs are also like a swimming jig.
The Best Bait for Lake Trout
Live minnows are not simple to use in ice fishing. Dead bait and cut baits are widely used in jigging. Salmon eggs, nightcrawlers, minnow heads, etc., are preferable live bait for ice fishing lake trout, and they are matched with the invisible leader. Northern pike loves the minnow head.
How Deep do You Ice Fish for Lake Trout?
You can catch lake trout from 20 feet to 60 feet. Sometimes the depth exceeds 100 feet deep. The lakers frequently travel in small pods or schools, so inside a 100-foot hole is also a functional area.
Ice Fishing Lake Trout Techniques
After selecting the fishing spot, clean the snow as much as possible and place the power tool to make a drill. Trouts tend to go deeper into the water when the sky is bright.
Use high capacity reel with an adequate amount of line. The fish does not strike much in deep water because of the critical oxygen supply. Sometimes the anglers might depend on their prediction.
Lake trout can notice the flash of the spoons from a long way. Keep jigging the lures so the fish will come close to it. Use multiple poles with one or more tip-ups if the states allow it, as trout often comes in pairs or more, so you can quickly drop another pole when needed.
Use a proper trout spinning or fishing rod for handling bigger trout in the lake. Without a good pole, you cannot cope with large fish.
Use the drag system correctly. Do not set the hook until the fish is 10 to 12 feet off the bottom. Use a bit of scent in your lures to attract the fish.
Pull your ice fishing rod on one side so that the line won’t cut on the ice. Start the jigging halfway down the water column, drop it back, and keep the drag loose. After the strike, the trout drive back, so let the line go until it starts slowing down. The rhythm should be constant in deeper water.
What is the Best Depth to Ice Fish Lake Trout?
The best depth for lake trout ice fishing starts at 20 to 60 feet in both early winter and mid-winter. However, it is hard to locate trout in late winter.
They are heading at least 60 feet deep in the water because of food availability. The temperature also affects their behavior. Shallow water has a better temperature. Check the current ice condition to access them.
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