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Lake Trout
Habitat and Diet:
The Lake Trout is the largest trout native to the Great lakes.
Lake trout prefer a water temperature of 45-55 degrees, so it
will change the depth of where it lives and hunts seasonally.
The Lake trout is a true wanderer, often ranging many miles
in search of food. Lake trout feed primarily on other fish,
although it seems to especially like ciscoes, alewives, smelt
and sculpin.
Relationship to humans:
The lake trout is a very popular sport fish. Lake trout are
extremely susceptible to overfishing. Many native lake trout
populations have been severely damaged through the
combined effects of hatchery stocking (planting) and over-
harvesting. Lake trout were fished commercially in the Great
Lakes until lampreys, over-harvesting and pollution severely
reduced the population.
Fun and Unusual Fact:
The largest Lake trout caught on a rod and reel was 72 pounds,
caught in Great Bear Lake in 1995 with a length