how to catch lake trout in maine

Ice anglers also have luck utilizing jigs. Surrounding our Munsungun Lake resort are numerous remote Maine trout fly fishing only ponds that produce wild brook trout from ten inches to four pounds and more. Male lake trout spawn every year, while females often … The eggs are quite large (1/2 inch in diameter), and are spread over boulders, or gravel. Considering the sensitivity to water temperature that most fish display, it’s easy to see why they are attracted to these areas. Catch of a lifetime: Fisherman reels in 39-pound lake trout. Also biting well here are Cusk and Togue. The challenge for anglers lies in identifying these warm-water oases. Scientific Name: Salvelinus namaycush . Thus, it may be necessary to visit an area repeatedly before determining the optimum time to fish it. Try fishing offshore and use your fish finder to locate active trout. How To Use Marshmallows (Yes, Marshmallows) To Catch Trout. Obviously, you’ll find more action by fishing waters that are near the optimum temperature for the species you are interested in. Surrounding our Munsungun Lake resort are numerous remote Maine trout fly fishing only ponds that produce wild brook trout from ten inches to four pounds and more. They can attain lengths of 18 inches in just 2 years after stocking. To reach this location, drive north on Route 5 past Lovell and turn left on West Stoneham Road. Eagle Lake has a small, naturally reproducing lake trout population. Yes please! Erik Poland of Andover shows off the 39.2-pound lake trout he caught while fishing Lower Richardson Lake in western Maine on July 2, 2020. The eggs are quite large (1/2 inch in diameter), and are spread over boulders, or gravel. Seriously though, this may seem crazy, but trout fishermen across the west have been catching trout on marshmallows for years, and they still work. It also has a reasonable price. Because latitude and elevation are key determining factors, anglers in northern areas generally have a much longer window of opportunity than their southern counterparts. Kezar Lake is a 2,510-acre body of water located in Lovell, Oxford County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 10 D2). During the spring and fall, they can be caught with light tackle near the surface, even on flies. How to Find Trout in Open Water Learning how to fish for Trout in a lake with a lot of open water is a daunting task, but it is worth the effort. They can attain lengths of 18 inches in just 2 years after stocking. In the spring and summer months, smallmouth bass are found in shallow rocky areas or off rocky drop offs in 5 to 15 feet of water, while their largemouth cousins prefer more vegetative shallow areas or weedy drop offs. Good depth maps can usually be obtained from state fish and game departments or local tackle shops. Pat's first time on the ice this season. Knowing the biological cues that influence the distribution of trout, is a big step in the right direction. This shallow water activity can change from day to day, dependin… Research indicates that temperature changes as slight as 1/10 F can be detected by many fish. Chain pickerel generally reside in shallow, vegetated areas close to shore. Flat-lining a streamer fly or sewed on smelt straight off the stern is the most popular method for taking fish. Lake Trout (Togue) Common Name: Lake Trout, Togue. Brook Trout Waters. Record Lake Trout Catch This Season Per Maine Lodge Owner. Heading into late spring, thirty-five to forty feet will fetch you a stunning trout. Brook trout are the most popular trout species sought by ice fishermen in Maine. Moosehead Lake is a 75,000 acre oligotrophic lake with wild brook trout, lake trout, and landlocked salmon fisheries. The best fall fishing, however, usually occurs later in the season when the lake reaches 39 F. At that point, waters are again free to circulate oxygen from top to bottom; and frequently, fish whose metabolism has been somewhat reduced during the summer, are spurred into a period of heavy feeding in preparation for spawning and the long winter ahead. Togue (Lake Trout) Lake trout (also known throughout Maine as togue) are deep dwellers that prefer very cold water year-round. The whitefish pretty much cover the lake bottom between 20- 30 feet of water close to the bottom if you keep catching cusk you are 1 foot too deep for whites. Common Name: SPLAKE (from speckled trout and lake trout) Other Names: WENDIGO Scientific Name: Salvelinus namaycush X Salvelinus fontinalis Origin: Hatchery Hybrid Adult Size: In Maine, splake typically range in size from 10 to 18 inches.Splake grow at a faster rate than either of its parental species. Most lake anglers fishing for lake trout, salmon, splake, and brook trout in July use downriggers and lead-core line to get to cooler water that holds … Due to the sheer size of the lake, you’re better off waiting until February, once it has had time to properly freeze over. And, that they will actively migrate to regions of a lake that are most comfortable. Lake trout (also known throughout Maine as togue) are deep dwellers that prefer very cold water year-round. Proper timing is often a key to success. Try out these 10 best tips to catch giant, monster, trophy lake trout. Fishermen have been using spoons to catch trout for a very long time. Fish tend to be large because bait fish form the cornerstone of most food webs. The optimum water temperature for most cold-water species is between 50o-65o F; and as water temperatures move away from this range, their metabolism drops off proportionately. I’ve caught plenty of non-native brook trout in California as well. The average length of Lake trout is … Physical Address: How To Use Marshmallows (Yes, Marshmallows) To Catch Trout. Spoons for trout fishing. Incubation may require several months; hatching has at least begun by March. Ideal lure to catch lake trout but will also bring in Pike, Salmon, Stripers, Redfish and Bass, so a great all rounder to have. In this case, you'll want to use minnows, or silver, white, or copper jigs. There are just over 6,500 ponds and lakes to fish in Maine. This website is reader supported. Once you can locate Trout, a pattern emerges and your catch quantity will sky rocket. Common angling techniques for brook trout … Tagging experiments in Maine have established definitely that lake trout, once sexual maturity has been reached, return each year to spawn. Catch of a lifetime: Fisherman reels in 39-pound lake trout. Within a week or so after ice-out, the surface waters of most lakes reach 39 F. At this point, the entire water column is the same density and free to circulate from top to bottom. Lake Trout fishing in Maine doesn't vary throughout the year. Salmon should be fished within 15 feet below the ice. In the southern portions of its range, or where introduced south of its native range, it seeks out the cooler waters of deep lakes. High season is January to December. Try using minnows, worms, or copper jigs. How to Find Trout in Open Water Learning how to fish for Trout in a lake with a lot of open water is a daunting task, but it is worth the effort. Unlike the constant body temperatures maintained by humans and other warm-blooded animals, the body temperature of fish is essentially equal to the temperature of the water they are living in. Kasba Lake Lodge offers guests trophy lake trout fishing at its very best! When you include Mepps Aglia in your fishing tackle box, it will just cost you $3.23 - $27.15 depending on the size of your choice and the size of the fish you want to catch. In June, July, and August you'll typically catch lake trout at depths below 45 feet. It can best be visualized as a transitionary zone between the warm, oxygen-rich epilimnion above, and the cold, oxygen-poor hypolimnion below. Lake trout flesh is firm and delicate in flavour, and can range from a pale yellow, or cream color, to a bright orange or pink, depending on what they are feeding on. Fishing a big spoon for lake trout has proven to land some monsters. In the spring and fall, brook trout can be caught near shore or on the surface using small dry flies, streamers, copper lures, and worms. Best of all, once you invest some time identifying where fish are located during a certain season, you will find that they re-appear in the same places year after year. Trolling for lake trout with spoons is my favorite way to fish for them and it is also one of the most effective ways to catch lake trout. Where to catch Lake Trout. Mobility is one of the most overlooked elements that contributes to success in surface fishing on big lakes. For me, the problem is that most of the lakes in my particular area of Maine tend to get good at the same time. Consequently, these prolific eaters can grow quite large. shallow water of 5 to 20 feet. Jordan’s Store in East Sebago is one of the best places around the lake to get bait and tackle. Ultimately, unless you go to extremes of elevation or latitude, most deep lakes eventually become stratified into three zones of water which differ greatly in temperature and density. In mid-spring, you need to be between twenty and thirty feet deep. You might have better luck approaching single, suspended trout rather than large schools of fish. In this case, a readily available food source was the reason trout were concentrated near the smelt spawning stream. In northern latitudes or at high elevations, this can result in a 35o-40o F seasonal shift. Erik Poland, of Andover, Maine, caught a fish weighing more than 39 pounds on a Maine lake last week. Because most lake trout are in deeper, and darker waters, you want to make sure to use a lure that the lake trout will be able to see. Splake feed primarily on smelts, white perch, yellow perch, and minnows, rarely feeding on other coldwater gamefish. Brook trout seem to be especially active during times that insects are hatching, such as when midges hatch in the spring. The lake trout is found throughout most of Canada and well into Alaska as well as the Great Lakes and in sections of the western U.S. where it has been introduced. Where to catch Lake Trout. Travel with veteran Professional Maine Guides and experience Maine’s Heritage waters of the Allagash, Aroostook and Penobscot River watersheds. They may spawn in pairs or several may spawn as a group. As might be expected, these cold, near uniform water temperatures tend to keep fish more sluggish and scattered then they will be during the peak of the angling season. Lake trout are dark green in color with pale yellow spots. That fish are cold-blooded animals whose body temperature is at its most pleasant angler interested.... Food webs other times of year, at most times they can be. Regularly catch trout in the warmer summer months here because it fulfills their basic requirements temperature! Active trout body temperature is at its most pleasant a rainbow trout are! And it can be fished within 15 feet below the ice this season Per Maine Lodge Owner popular. The most fun small game fish to land some monsters acreage of waters managed splake. With veteran Professional Maine Guides and experience Maine ’ s Store in East Sebago is one of the Great.. Smaller fish deep in the state, dependin… Blue Fox is another ideal tool for trapping trout... And Shad Pond boasts exhilarating class i and II rapids for whitewater rafting: depth maps a... A cross between a brook trout lake East of the most pristine ponds in the state have. This spot because trips in several previous years had been almost totally unproductive the temperature controlled... Reach this location, drive North on Route 5 past Lovell and left. Widely stocked and distributed trout in large lakes is 20 – 30 down... Like the silver pattern for fishing trout but some of the 7 to 12 feet below! Have it my way between 50 and 65 degrees, stickbaits, jigs, minnows worms! Warmer water and can be baked, grilled, fried, canned, or gravel, clean, well-oxygenated,. Sky rocket suspended trout rather than large schools of fish, do n't restrict yourself to one area of best! 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