Lake Trout Fishing

Sandy Point Camp is located on Long Lake (Kawashegamuk lake). Here you will experience some of the best lake trout fishing in Ontario.

You will have a blast with Lake Trout fishing on Long Lake (Kawashegamuk lake) and Stormy Lake because you can catch lots of them. Lake Trout in our lake fight like crazy and are easy to catch. In the spring after ice-out Lake Trout are shallow and many guests catch them while fishing for other species. Later in June the trout start moving deeper and we start jigging them. There is nothing more exciting than bringing a big heavy fish up from the deep water. You never know what you have. Some guests, while fishing deep, pull up giant Northern Pike that were down feeding on Lake Trout.

Lake Trout in Long Lake (Kawashegamuk lake) and Stormy Lake are most common in the 3 to 5 pound range. Guests do catch a fair amount of Lake Trout in the 5 to 12 pound range but they are not caught as frequently as the smaller ones. A lot of this has to do with the size of baitfish. Smaller Lake Trout have a harder time swallowing a full grown Lake Herring, which is the Lake Trout's primary diet. As a result they are more likely to focused on small baits so guests catch more of them with smaller lures and baits. You can switch to a larger spoon in hopes of catching a much larger Lake Trout but that eliminates the smaller good eating size trout. Long Lake (Kawashegamuk lake) is a big lake and fully capable of supporting Lake Trout over 20 pounds. Catching a fish this big is not a daily occurrence but the potential is there. Like all fishing there are good days and bad days. Lake Trout tend to hit best in the morning and evening. Days with high pressure are the best. If you target Lake Trout during the right conditions you should be able to catch between 5 and 15 lakers per day with an average size of about 5 pounds. Sometimes there are really hot days when you catch more.

Lake Trout can live to be over 100 years old. The Ministry of Natural Resources once netted a 104 pound Lake Trout in Lake Nipigon that was estimated to be over 120 years old. The current Ontario Lake Trout record is 63.12 pounds caught by Hubert Hammers in Lake Superior.

Lake Trout have been a victim of folklore. You may have heard that they taste fishy and they are very oily. You may have heard they don't fight well. This all comes from people that have never caught or eaten a Lake Trout. None of it is true. Lake Trout taste fantastic and fight down hard like a big Walleye, which is why they are so prized by Ontario's anglers. They are indigenous to North America and are actual a species of char. They evolved from sea-running Arctic Char. Lake Trout do not have that strong salmon flavor that Rainbow and Brown Trout have. Like all trout the smaller they are the better they taste. Lake Trout over 5 pounds should be let go. Small Lake Trout taste best when rolled in flour and fried in butter or for big Lake Trout baked with turkey stuffing is awesome.

Some guests bring specialized equipment for Lake Trout such as downriggers but it's really not necessary. In the spring the Lake Trout are caught on the surface and all you need to do is cast or troll with spoons and spinners. The trout will generally be found closer to shore and many times great numbers of them will be found in the dark water just off of sandbars, beaches and shoals. Later when it gets warm, the trout do go deeper but believe it or not, it's easier to catch them because they concentrate themselves in certain parts of the lake. Generally in the heat of the summer a good place to start fishing for Lake Trout is just above the thermocline, which in most years is around 50 feet deep. Here you can troll for them or jig with the infamous slab. Please read our fishing tips to see how to catch Lake Trout with your Walleye or Pike rod. Then when you get here; we will get you going on some awesome trout fishing.

We highly recommend bringing an ATV to access some of our outpost lakes. We do offer drop-off/pick-up assistance to some lakes for a fee of $50.

Lake Trout Fishing Tips & Techniques

• Medium action rods, spinning or baitcast reels
• 8 - 10 lb test
• Mepps spinners #5 silver
• Doctor Spoons, flutter spoons, wobblers, Bombers, Slabs

Early spring the trout are shallow 10-20 ft. Troll Mepps spinners with a little piece of sucker meat. Use an in-line sinker or a three way swivel with the right weight and keep your lure where the bait-fish are. Troll slow, just fast enough for your lure to have the right action. Crank baits and spoons will work this time of year also. Keep your bait where the trout are and you will experience some of the best trout fishing of the year.

July and August the trout and the bait-fish have moved deeper. Water temperatures dictate their depth. Jigging with slabs and bombers work well. The trout will be in 40-70 feet of water. They are just as active as the spring but deeper. Look for the deeper holes that are holding baitfish and the trout will be close by.

September the trout are moving shallow as the water temperatures is dropping. Jigging and trolling will both work this time of year. Late September can provide some great shallow water trout fishing. Don't forget the size restrictions in September.