Species
Lake Trout
Salvelinus namaycush · family Salmonidae
Live · updated
The native deepwater char of the Great Lakes and cold northern lakes. Holds in cold, deep water through summer and moves shallow to reefs in spring and fall. Targeted by deep trolling, jigging, and from shore early and late in the season.
Preferred conditions
- Water temp
- 40–52°F (ideal 48°F)
- Tide
- either
- Moon
- either
- Depth
- 30–200 ft
- Active months
- Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
Best lake trout conditions today
Port Crescent State Park
31st Street Beach (Margaret T. Burroughs Beach)
Marquette Park Beach (Gary, Miller Beach)
Washington Park Beach (Michigan City)
Lake Champlain
Cayuga Lake
Blue Mesa Reservoir
Lake Granby
Flathead Lake
Flaming Gorge Reservoir
Sebago Lake
Moosehead Lake
Lake Tahoe (Nevada)
Lake Winnipesaukee
Squam Lake
Lake Memphremagog (Newport)
Presque Isle State Park
Ludington State Park
Lake Champlain (Burlington)
Fort Peck Lake
Peninsula State Park (Nicolet Bay Beach)
Sims Park Beach (Euclid)
Edgewater Beach (Cleveland)
No locations match that filter.
Regulations by jurisdiction
MI
Stale: last verified 44 days ago.
great lakes
- Creel
- 5
5 trout & salmon in combination per day (10" minimum; no more than 3 lake trout or steelhead).
Source · verified 2026-05-29
IN
Stale: last verified 44 days ago.
great lakes
- Creel
- 5
5 trout & salmon in combination per day on Lake Michigan (no more than 3 lake trout).
Source · verified 2026-05-29
IL
Stale: last verified 44 days ago.
great lakes
- Creel
- 5
5 trout & salmon in combination per day on Lake Michigan.
Source · verified 2026-05-29
WI
Stale: last verified 44 days ago.
great lakes
- Creel
- 5
5 trout & salmon in combination per day on Lake Michigan (Great Lakes trout stamp required; zone rules may apply).
Source · verified 2026-05-29
PA
Stale: last verified 44 days ago.
great lakes
- Creel
- 5
Lake Erie / Presque Isle: 5 trout & salmon in combination per day in season; 3/day from the day after Labor Day to the spring trout opener.
Source · verified 2026-05-29
OH
Stale: last verified 44 days ago.
great lakes
- Creel
- 2
Lake Erie: 2 trout & salmon per day (5/day in tributaries and Lake Erie, Sep 1–Apr 30 — confirm current rule).
Source · verified 2026-05-29
NY
Stale: last verified 44 days ago.
non tidal
- Min size
- 21"
- Creel
- 3
21" minimum, 3/day on most lakes (Champlain, Cayuga and the Finger Lakes have specific rules).
Source · verified 2026-05-29
Stale: last verified 39 days ago.
great lakes
- Min size
- 25"
- Creel
- 3
Lake Ontario and its tributaries: 3 trout & salmon per day in combination (brown/rainbow-steelhead/coho/chinook/lake trout), with no more than 1 lake trout. Tributary and seasonal rules vary — confirm the water.
Source · verified 2026-06-03
NTCO
Stale: last verified 41 days ago.
non tidal
- Creel
- 4
Counted in the statewide 4-fish trout aggregate by default, but trophy lake-trout waters set their own limits (e.g. Blue Mesa uses a protective slot allowing more small fish). Confirm the water-specific CPW rule.
Source · verified 2026-06-01
NTMTW
Stale: last verified 41 days ago.
non tidal
- Creel
- 20
Western District: 20 lake trout daily, 40 in possession — Flathead Lake actively encourages mackinaw harvest to protect native bull and westslope cutthroat trout.
Source · verified 2026-06-01
NTMTE
Stale: last verified 41 days ago.
non tidal
- Creel
- 3
Eastern District: 3 lake trout daily, 6 in possession.
Source · verified 2026-06-01
NTUT
Stale: last verified 39 days ago.
non tidal
- Creel
- no daily limit
At Flaming Gorge (2026), unlimited lake trout 28" or shorter with only 1 over 28" — Utah encourages harvest of small "junior" mackinaw. Elsewhere lake trout fall under the 4-trout aggregate. Confirm the water.
Source · verified 2026-06-03
Waters with special regulations in this jurisdiction
NTME
Stale: last verified 39 days ago.
non tidal
- Min size
- 18"
- Creel
- 2
Maine general law: 2 lake trout (togue)/day, 18" minimum.
Source · verified 2026-06-03
Waters with special regulations in this jurisdiction
NTVT
Stale: last verified 39 days ago.
non tidal
- Min size
- 15"
- Creel
- 3
Lake Champlain: 3 lake trout/day, 15" minimum.
Source · verified 2026-06-03
NTNH
Stale: last verified 39 days ago.
non tidal
- Min size
- 18"
- Creel
- 2
New Hampshire: 2 lake trout/day (18" minimum), in the 2-fish salmon + lake-trout aggregate.
Source · verified 2026-06-03
NTNV
Stale: last verified 39 days ago.
non tidal
- Creel
- 5
Nevada: lake trout (mackinaw) count within the statewide 5-trout daily limit. Lake Tahoe is an interstate water — a Nevada, California, or Interstate Boundary Waters license is valid.
Source · verified 2026-06-03