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Lake Trout

Salvelinus namaycush

Identifying Characteristics

	Light-colored spots on a dark background
	Deeply forked tail
	Distinguished from brook trout by a deeply forked tail and absence of red or pink spots

Other Information

The lake trout or mackinaw is native in Canada and the Great Lakes from the Yukon to the Atlantic coast. The lake trout is primarily an inhabitant of large, deep, cold lakes. The lake trout is a fall spawner that spawns on rocky shoals in lakes rather than in flowing water as other Wyoming trout. Food of lake trout over twelve inches is predominantly fish. Trout, chubs, whitefish, and kokanee have been found in lake trout stomachs in Wyoming. The lake trout is an extremely long-lived fish. Fish over twenty years old have been reported.

Angling Tips

Since lake trout prefer deep, cold water, lake trout fishermen use specialized gear. Large plugs or a spoon trolled with weighted line or downriggers is a popular fishing method. Others prefer to jig large spoons with a chunk of sucker meat. Lake trout are the largest fish that live in Wyoming.