Lake Trout Fishing

So I am going to head out this Sunday for a warm weather break we are going to have this weekend. Today, Tomorrow and Sunday were supposed to have 45 degree weather. The water temp is right around 40 degrees and I was planning on hitting a couple northern points where the sun has been hitting. As much reading as I have done I haven't really ever fished for lake trout before. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Everything that I have read is target bait balls in the range of 5 foot to 20 foot. I was planning on throwing some top water jerkbaits and rapalas. Is this the way to go?

I would think this time of the year, they would be down deep.  It's not warm enough for them to come into the shallows yet.  100+ feet of water.  Unless you're set up to downrigger troll, I'd suggest 2 ounce leadheads with a white/glow curlytail tipped with something tasty (herring filet, worm, perch filet, whatever, something meaty).  Look for marks and fish them hard.  Keep searching ...

-Allen

Following the bait is key. The lakers, as char, actually prefer colder water than true trout.

Allen and I have fished Chelan Lake, where the lakers follow mysis shrimp and kokanee. The shrimp are light sensitive and dive during the day to the lake bottom or 200+'. Chelan is very clear. The local guides on Chelan are fishing from 200-300'. (Chelan goes to 1600'.) That's where we've had success with the jigs.

I assume you're going to fish Lake Pend Oreille? What technique are the PBers using? I don't think there are mysis in there, and that the lakers key in to rainbows and kokanee. I've heard of guys on Tahoe, another clear water lake, long-lining plugs (Rapalas, etc.) with light line (6-8lb).

Good luck, it will be interesting to hear about.

I've heard of guys on Tahoe, another clear water lake, long-lining plugs (Rapalas, etc.) with light line (6-8lb).

Yeah but that's a spring time thing ...

-Allen

I used to fish Tahoe and currently fish Roosevelt and here is what has worked for me.  I use a fly fishing water thermometer with about 200' of line on it with knots tied every 10'.  I fish a few areas regularly and kind of know the structure.  I drop the thermometer into these areas to get a feel for where the thermal layer is (anything above 50 degrees if I can find it).  This time of year it can be between 150 and 75 feet down, at lease at Roosevelt.  Once I figure out where the layer is, I target that with the following.  I tie a small Rapalla X-rap subwalk with a 1/8 oz weight about 24'' in front and twitch that guy in and around this layer.  Usually that will wake up those holdover trout.  I switch between the gold and silver blue pattern. 

Once I make that transition out of my canoe to a yak, I'd sure like to drive over the hill and fish Pend Oreille.

Well I'm going to go out either way, I'm sick of being cooped up in the house lol. There are mysis shimp here btw. The area that I am going to be fishing is covered with big boulders and rock bottom in 5ft to 20 foot range with lots of ledges and within about 100 yards there is ledge that drops to about 500+ feet. Thats why I am going to try and target this area. If anything I know there will be suspending smallmouth there so if no lake trout luck I'll try to switch to some smallie patterns.

I have some 4" & 7" fluke shad patterns that look a lot like kokanee so I am going to give those a go for a while., I'f you ever want to hit up my area let me know. Once the ice melts on Hayden and Coeur Dalene bays and tribute lakes I'm going to head out for some Pike. Then April and May gonna hit up largemouth and Smallie fishing big time.