Many fishermen associate trout with technical fly fishing, and this can be true on streams and rivers, but on open, deep water, lake trout provide a challenge that’s more familiar to the saltwater kayaker. Kayak anglers have three options for targeting trout: trolling, jigging, or casting.
What is the best depth to ice fish lake trout?
Lake Trout are typically found in water that is 60 to 200 feet or deeper. Typically, you will want to fish your lure in depths between 80 and 160 feet. Two of the best tactics to catch lakers are pounding the bottom and playing keep away.
Where can I go ice fishing in NY?
- LAKE CHAMPLAIN.
- SARATOGA LAKE.
- FOURTH LAKE.
- ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.
- LAKE ONTARIO.
- ONEIDA LAKE.
- CAYUGA LAKE.
- HONEOYE LAKE.
How do you fish for ice fishing in lake trout?
What is the best time of day to ice fish for lake trout?
The best time of day to ice fishing for lake trout is late afternoon right around sunset. Early morning can be really good too but late afternoon seems to be the golden time in the winter for hungry lake trout.
What bait is best for lake trout?
Live bait is generally the most consistently effective way to fish for lake trout. Minnows are usually the best option. Other good live bait options are nightcrawlers, salmon eggs, or anything similar to their native prey. One of the best artificial options for deepwater trout is a big bucktail jig.
How deep are lake trout in January?
The nice part about fishing with the absence of a thermocline in the cold months is that many fish are not as deep as during the summer months. Anglers can capitalize on catching trout from 10 to 35 feet deep in ice-cold waters during December, January, and February.
Do you need a license to ice fish in NY?
You need a fishing license if you are 16 years and older and fishing for: Freshwater fish species by angling, spearing, hooking, longbow, and tip-ups.
How many lines can you have ice fishing in NY?
This year, anglers are allowed seven fishing lines at once while ice fishing. This means that you can have a combination of tip-ups and jigging rods running at the same time, as long as there are only seven lines in the water.
Can you fish in the winter in New York?
While most freshwater fish can be caught through the ice, only certain species are in season through the winter. Some popular species to target through the ice in New York: Yellow Perch. Northern Pike.
What line do you use for ice fishing on lake trout?
When learning how to catch lake trout ice fishing, you can use 10 to 15-pound braided line and 6 to 8-pound fluorocarbon leader. Because braided fishing line has no stretch, it’s a good choice for fishing in deeper water.
How do you catch lake trout in the winter?
One of the coolest things about winter lake trout is they can be caught regularly on artificial lures. In fact, there are times when artificial lures work a whole lot better than live bait. You can also fish relatively aggressively for lake trout, jigging a spoon, jigging rapala or tube jig with a lot of action.
What is the best hook for lake trout?
In general, trout hooks that are size 8 to 14 are going to be best. Always use barbless hooks for trout unless you plan to eat what you catch. Smaller hooks are always best for trout because they will see larger hooks if the water is clear enough.
What colors attract lake trout?
Since many of your prized monster trophy Lake Trout will reside in darker waters, it’s imperative to use brighter colored jerkbaits. Blue, silver, orange, pink, and chartreuse are all great colors to ensure your lure is visible at depth.
Do trout bite at night in ice fishing?
Re: trout at night Though the ice the bite is usually good shallow, morning and evening, deep throughout the day, then typically dying off as darkness falls. A trout’s diet is limited under the ice(depending on location) to mainly minnows, backswimmers, waterboatman, and insect larva.
What depth should I ice fish?
In my experience, I’ve found that most of the best ice-fishing action comes in water from 3-to-20 feet deep. I like to set up my traps so that they cover a variety of depths. Areas with rock piles, weed beds, or dramatic contours are all good spots.
How old is a 36 inch lake trout?
Cory Goldsworthy, Lake Superior area fisheries supervisor for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, said it’s hard to estimate the age of Gotchie’s big lake trout without taking a fin out of it. Trout over 36-inches long caught and aged by researchers in the past have varied from 15 to 30 years old, he said.
What depth do lake trout like?
Lake trout prefer to be in approximately 53 degree water. Their depth and eating habits will change with the weather. In the early spring and fall lake trout swim at a depth of between 35 and 45 feet (10.7 to 13.7m). Later in the spring and in the summer they move deeper to 50 to 65 feet (15.4 to 19.8m).
What do lake trout bite in winter?
Mealworms – this one is a favorite of trout as it’s soft and chewy for them. It is one of their natural foods, and you can use it to lure them up so you can catch them. 2. Minnows – as mentioned earlier, trout love small fishes, so they will attack and eat these small fishes when they see them.
How do you catch lake trout in December?
What temperature do lake trout like?
Lake trout prefer and require cold water, generally between 40 and 50°F, but they can spend time outside of this range when needed. That said, it’s unlikely to find lake trout in temperatures greater than 59°F.
How many tip-ups are you allowed ice fishing in New York State?
Under the new regulations, hand lines and tip-ups are both defined as “fishing lines” and anglers are only allowed to use no more than seven at a time. Thus, an angler is using tip-ups only, he or she can have up to 7 actively working at any one time.
How much is the fine for fishing without a license in NY?
A violation offense under New York State’s fishing or hunting laws carry a penalty varying from $0 to $250 and up to 15 days in jail.
What kind of bait do you use for ice fishing?
ICE FISHING BAIT For ice fishing live bait, try wax worms (bee moth larva), maggots, spikes (fly larvae), wigglers (mayfly larvae) or minnows. You can drop your bait and leave it alone, or you can slowly jig to attract the fish. Ice fishing jigging also works with artificial ice fishing bait.
Can you use treble hooks for trout in NY?
Possession of hooks with a gap greater than a half inch are prohibited. The use of lures on these waters with treble hooks, with certain exceptions, are also banned.