Lake Trout Lures
Targeting big wise lake trout requires specialist lures, period.
Larger trout tend to hang deeper in the water so using standard floating lures or lightweight lures will not get the job done.
Lake trout lures tend to be much heavier and help you get down to the target fish quicker, ultimately landing you that prized catch.
Get it right and you fill your bag.
Get it wrong and you catch nothing…
What is the best lure to catch Lake Trout?
We love fishing lakes and our target species for this post is the wonderful trout. We are going to show you our favorite lake trout lures, how to rig them and the best fishing techniques we use.
Lake trout tend to spend most of their time in deeper water so you need something that gets down to the fish as quick as possible. You could fish all day and not get a single bite so it’s important to have a few different options in your tackle box for lake trout fishing:
Here are our favorites for lake trout and a bit of info about each type and how to fish them.
Lake Trout Lures
- Spoons
- Rapala’s
- Flatfish
Fishing for lake trout, you could pick from 100’s of different lures, pick from different action, worry about how deep to fish, are you trolling, what hook type to use and what speed should your retrieve be.
Any one of the below will have you landing keepers in no time…
Lake Trout Lure Guide
1. Spoons for trout
Fishing a big spoon for lake trout has proven to land some monsters. Keep the speed down on the retrieval and the bait drops down the water column to the cooler areas where the big lurkers are hanging out.
A heavier spoon can be fished from the bank of the lake or trolled behind you on a boat. Lake trout can be hard to find at times so best to keep moving around the swim until you hit your target.
Our favorite trout spoons are the Weedless Minnow Spoon from Dr Fish.
Trout spoons have pretty much stayed the same for years but this little beauty is definitely one you should have in the tackle box.
- It is long casting so perfect if you are targeting lake trout from the bank.
- This model has a rattle ball and makes enough noise to bring in the trout.
- It has a nice steady wobble when you retrieve it and the trout seems to love this action.
- Single weedless hook out the side which really helps if you are fond of the weeds.
- Ideal lure to catch lake trout but will also bring in Pike, Salmon, Stripers, Redfish and Bass, so a great all rounder to have.
We like the silver pattern for fishing trout but some of the coloured variety have landed some crackers as well.
Spoons for trout fishing
Fishermen have been using spoons to catch trout for a very long time. Traditional hammered steel or brass spoons were all the rage but advances in engineering and design have seen this lure change over the years.
We still prefer the silver or gold patterns but add in a rattle and a weedless hook and you are going to land some serious keepers – even from the bank of the lake.
How to:
Fishing this lure is all about colour, depth and speed.
Lake trout tend to hang about in deeper cooler waters most of the time so you need a lure with a bit of weight to get down into the water column.
A silver or gold lure will do just fine but if you fancy something flashier then you have plenty of options to choose from.
Slow and steady retrieval works for me every time. The wobble of the lure and additional rattle (if your lure has one) fills our bag every time.
2. Flatfish Lures
Another great option for trout fishing in lakes is the flatfish lure.
Trolled from a boat on a downrigger these lures can land you some prize winners if you get the depth and troll right.
Our favorite is the Yakima Bait Flatfish and one we never leave home without.
We use this bait a lot when we are trolling in shallower waters because the action is irresistible and the flatfish wobble brings lake trout from the depths and into our boat.
Fishing with Flatfish Lures
Best used by slow trolling behind a boat.
You can fish these in shallower water if trout are on the move but for deeper lakes and pools you will need a downrigger and lead-core line to get down to where the big trout are hiding.
Rapala Lures for lake fishing
Next up we are going to take a look at Rapala’s for lake fishing. We fish a lot in rivers for trout and never leave home without a couple of these in the tackle box.
This Rapala Original Floater is our lure of choice and has delivered more fish than any other lure in our bag.
There are two main differences with Rapala lures – aside from color and pattern. You can get floating lures and sinking lures so make sure you have both. You never know when they are going to move into shallow water so don’t get caught out.
If you are fishing these from the bank then try and find some drop-offs in the water. Bigger trout will tend to hang around here and passing one of these beauties over their heads will bring on the strike all day long.
Fishing technique
A slow steady retrieve is best for this lure but don’t be afraid to speed up if you are not getting hammered.
Get yourself a couple of these because they get chewed up a bit – especially if you hook into a big laker.
Lake Trout Fishing Tips
Our favorite technique for fishing lake trout is trolling.
But not everybody has access to a boat, so the following is some of the gear you will need before you head off fishing.
Gear
First up is your rod setup: We love the Ugly Stik medium action spinning rod and have fished with versions of these for years.
You main line should be about 15-20 lbs but you may want to look at lead core line if you are trying to get down into the depths for the bigger lakers.
For your reel its very hand to look at anything except the Pen Battle II. This is a superb spinning reel and we have quite a few of these knocking about because they are so solid and very reliable.
The last thing you might consider is getting your hands on a fishfinder. You could spend weeks on a larger lake looking for your targets but if you have a finder you can lock onto some decent lakers quickly and start fishing.
The Hawkeye Fishtrax is a great budget option and suitable for trolling.
BAIT SELECTION
As you can see there are any number of options available for lake trout fishing. We have listed our top choices above and the main things to look out for are:
How deep is the swim you are fishing in – this will dictate the lure you need, the weight and potentially the need for a downrigger on your boat. It could be 3 feet or 30 feet so make sure you research before you head out.
Colour of the water – For gin-clear lakes you can use a gold or coloured pattern for best results. If the water is a bit cloudy then opt for a sliver one with a rattle to bring on the bite.
