The lake trout or "salmon trout" as it is sometimes called, is the largest trout native to the Great lakes and other Michigan lake waters. This fish strongly prefers a water temperature of 45-55 degrees F. Thus, while the lake trout may be found in shallow water only 10 to 15 feet deep in spring and fall, it follows these frigid water temperatures to depths of 100 to 200 feet in the summer and winter. This restless denizen of the cold, deep waters is a true wanderer, often ranging many miles in search of prey. A relentless hunter, the lake trout feeds primarily on other fish. Although it seems to have a peculiar penchant for ciscoes, it also concentrates on alewives, smelt or sculpin (dead or alive), and sometimes takes crustaceans, insects, other fish, and even small mammals.

Many lake trout seem to return each fall to use the same spawning beds, although some don't show this homing behavior. The eggs are deposited after dark, often on shoals. Young lake trout become sexually mature at 6 or 7 years of age. The average adult weighs in at 9 - 10 pounds but some individuals weigh up to 50 pounds (the Michigan record is 61 1bs and 8 oz). The life-span of the lake trout may exceed 25 years.

Parasitization by sea lampreys severely reduced the lake trout populations in Michigan from 1935 to 1965. Chemical contaminants and over-fishing pressures have also contributed to the problem, but with better fishing management and control of the lamprey and pollution problems, the invaluable lake trout is coming back.

An unusual from of lake trout occurs in the deep waters of Lake Superior, and is called a cisowet. This "fat trout" spawns at depths greater than 300 feet and is edible only when smoked. In Lake Superior individuals exist covering the entire spectrum from this odd type to the familiar form of lake trout.

Lake trout have also be successfully hybridized with brook trout to form the "splake," obtained by fertilizing lake trout eggs with brook trout sperm. Splake released in the Great Lakes and recaptured 5 or 6 years later have weighed up to 16 pounds. Splake are intermediate between the parent species in appearance.

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Salvelinus namaycush

IDENTIFICATION: Lake trout are a medium to dark gray or olive color with white worm-like wavy marks on their backs and on top of the head. Occasionally, they have bars or spots along the side mainly tinged with red. Lake trout also are the only trout in Michigan with a deeply forked tail.

RANGE AND HABITAT: Lake trout are native to the Great Lakes and prefer deep, coldwater lakes throughout North America. They are usually found offshore in deep, well oxygenated water. In Lake Erie, lake trout are usually not found in Michigan waters, but can be found in low numbers in the East Central and Eastern basins. These populations are maintained by annual stockings in Pennsylvania and New York.

LIFE HISTORY: Lake trout spawn on offshore shoals and reefs in the fall. Eggs hatch in the spring and young lake trout usually move to deeper water after a short time. Adult fish are opportunistic feeders their diet consisting of aquatic insects, crustaceans, and a range of fish species, including small lake trout. The lake trout is a slow growing, long lived species that does not become sexually mature until age seven or eight. Lake trout populations have been greatly reduced over much of their range due to their susceptibility to parasitism by the sea lamprey.

ADULT SIZE: Lake trout average between 20 and 24 inches and 3 to 6 pounds, but are capable of reaching 50 pounds and More. Michigan's state record fish weighed 61.5 pounds Length:49 in.

FISHING METHODS: Anglers trolling Lake Erie using spoons or crankbaits in the spring and fall occasionally take a lake trout. Also, anglers fishing for steelhead on piers and beaches during late fall and winter may catch one. Overall, it is rare for lake trout to be taken in Michigan waters.