Lake trout fishing takes a greater degree of skill. This is especially true in the summer. People have used thick fishing rods and lines for years to catch trout. The exact opposite is needed for this purpose. Thin fishing lines cause less friction with the water and so are easier to go deep with. Thick, heavy rods are not sensitive enough to give you an indication when small fish are pulling at the line deep in the water.

What you need for lake trout fishing is a light action rod with a six pound test line. Also needed are three way swivels and a 2 oz weight or a 3 oz weight depending on whether you are fishing up to 50 feet or 80 feet. On one end of the swiveled line tie the 2 or 3 oz weight. On the other, tie a small lure.

Lake trout like small lures. #1 or #0 Mepps or Blue Foxes work well. Lake trout are attracted most by small Sutton Silver Spoons. In lake trout fishing it is all important to let the line reach the bottom. However, do not just let the line out until this happens. Once you have a good straight troll going let the line out one or two feet at a time. The rod tip will bounce up and down as you let the line up. This rhythm is disrupted when the line hits the bottom. When this happens, pull the line up a foot or two. The reason for this procedure is to prevent your three-way swivel from getting tangled.

When lake trout fishing, the small one immediately pull, so you know that you have baited something. The big trouts often do not know they have been hooked and slowly swim away. When they realize that they have been hooked, they go crazy and can easily pull the line a 100 yards before you can start reeling them in.

In summertime, lake trout are best hit between first light and 10:30 am. They hit better if the skies are clear, the lake is calm and the pressure is high. Trout feed during other parts of the day in early spring. In some lakes trouts feed just before dark.

Take a good look at the shoreline structure and mentally try to visualize how the elevation patterns run into the lake. If there is a cliff, chances are the water will be deep at the bottom. If there is a string of islands, chances are a shallow shoal runs between them. Try trolling parallel to the shoal.

When you drop the line to the bottom, it is easy to estimate how many feet you have gone under. Simply count the number of times you have let out the line – assuming that you are letting the line out one foot at a time. It is a good idea to fish at between 40 and 60 feet. When there is a wind blowing, it is a good idea to fish on the side that the wind is blowing from.

In spring, lake trout rise up to the surface. In summer, as the water is thinner, the trout begin to go deeper. Many believe that during this time the trout have gone dormant in the deepest part of the lake. In actuality, the trout lie suspended in 53-degree thermal layers. This is where the bait fish lie.

Keep a depth finder to map the schools of bait fish that lie suspended. Troll on the outside of the bait fish schools. Keep these tips and tricks of lake trout fishing in mind to greatly enhance your fishing experience and increase your catch.