The hottest fishing from November to February is under the ice. Ice fishing near Anchorage keeps anglers busy year-round, and many area lakes are filled with arctic char, grayling, pike, and even landlocked salmon.
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.
Which month is the best for ice fishing in Alaska?
In Alaska’s interior, temperatures drop dramatically in late October. But you won’t notice the cold when you’re pulling champion rainbow trout from the water. Ice fishing season starts here in late November and is best through mid-January.
How do you fish for ice fishing in lake trout?
How do you catch lake trout in Alaska?
One of the most effective methods for catching lakers is trolling. It all starts in the spring as soon as the ice comes off the lake. The fish can be found plying the shallows, where the water is oxygenated, warmer, and where baitfish can be found.
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.
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.
What state is known for ice fishing?
Ice fishing in California? It might sound odd to you, but the Golden State has some pretty cool ice fishing spots. One of them is Silver Lake. Located at the base of Carson Mountain, it’s one of the most scenic ice fishing spots in the US.
Do you need a license to ice fish in Alaska?
Anglers need a current year’s sport fishing license in their possession while sport fishing, including while ice fishing.
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 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.
What lakes in Alaska have lake trout?
Lake trout inhabit clear, mountain lakes in northern Alaska as well as turbid glacial lakes on the north side of the Chugach Range and Kenai Peninsula.
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.
Are lake trout good to eat?
Yes! Lake trout are safe to eat. They are also some of the healthiest foods available. The benefits of consuming lake trout are much greater than the risks of contaminant exposure.
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 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.
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.
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.
What do lake trout eat in the winter?
Trout eat minnows and crayfish during the winter but won’t chase them far. A small streamer, fished upstream like a nymph with an occasional twitch, may interest a trout.
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.
Where is the best ice fishing in the world?
- Lake of the Woods — Ontario, Manitoba, and Minnesota.
- Lake Gogebic — Michigan.
- Devil’s Lake — North Dakota.
- Kangerlussuaq Fjord — Greenland.
- Lake Simcoe — Ontario.
- Lena River — Siberia, Russia.
How do you ice fish in Alaska?
Alaska statewide regulations allow you to ice fish using two rods, or one rod and one tip-up, provided only one hook or artificial lure is used on each line, and as long as both set-ups are closely attended. When fishing in a party, have each angler fish at two different depths.
Is there ice fishing in Montana?
Region 1 — Northwest Montana Ice anglers can target kokanee and yellow perch. Little Bitterroot Lake is located near Kalispell. This 2,970 acre lake offers a variety of species including rainbow trout, yellow perch, and kokanee. Echo Lake is located five miles from Bigfork and 25 miles from Kalispell.
Can you fish with two poles in Alaska?
A. No, you cannot use more than one set of gear. For example, if you’re rod and reel fishing, you can use only 1 rod.