Lake trout fishing depth

[Ruimachado]

Hi, so I have been focusing my research and fishing time to what preference depth do lake trout spend most of their time during ice season, have caught them cruising in 10ft of water and in 50ft, but everytime I'm fishing shallower than 25ft I run out of water before trout make it to the bait 99% of the time, in the 40s and 50s the bite occurs most of the time around 15 to 20ft from the chase all the way from the bottom.
What's everyone opinion on best depth to target them?

[sebago2jigtima]

i like deep holes, inside turns up against cliffs, or the saddle in between humps
good luck
keep moving till  u find them

[Hottuna5150]

Ruimachoado,
This is a tough one to answer as lakers can be so variable based on the the lake, time of the year and even day to day. The best advice I got early on was to stay mobile. Overall I will say I tend to start my days around 40' (unless the late season smelt runs or sucker staging has begun) then I start much shallower. If I'm not seeing many marks or active marks in 10-15 minutes at a hole, I move to the next one. Sometimes just twenty feet (on ice, not depth) makes a huge difference. Once you start marking fish establishing a chase or bite ceiling helps a lot. If they only rise a little, I downsize and shorten the distance I pull away. I tend to think overall that structure matters a lot more than depth but that doesn't mean there aren't days that pounding a sand flat doesn't produce in a big way. In general NH lake trout don't seem to be as aggressive as they are in some of the neighboring states but often with a more finesse approach you can still put quite a few fish on the ice. Hope there's something useful in here somewhere.

[AQUAASSASSIN]

Ruimachoado,
This is a tough one to answer as lakers can be so variable based on the the lake, time of the year and even day to day. The best advice I got early on was to stay mobile. Overall I will say I tend to start my days around 40' (unless the late season smelt runs or sucker staging has begun) then I start much shallower. If I'm not seeing many marks or active marks in 10-15 minutes at a hole, I move to the next one. Sometimes just twenty feet (on ice, not depth) makes a huge difference. Once you start marking fish establishing a chase or bite ceiling helps a lot. If they only rise a little, I downsize and shorten the distance I pull away. I tend to think overall that structure matters a lot more than depth but that doesn't mean there aren't days that pounding a sand flat doesn't produce in a big way. In general NH lake trout don't seem to be as aggressive as they are in some of the neighboring states but often with a more finesse approach you can still put quite a few fish on the ice. Hope there's something useful in here somewhere.

Phenomenal post Keith.

You are spot on with the aggression here. I think it’s actually why I do t fish them here and just get a bunch by accident.

For instance on Sebago, I pound bottom until a mark appears and then you start burning it up and once you get say 25’ up the rod bends in half and it’s every damn time. I wish they did that here as a rule and not that 1 odd day a year

[Hottuna5150]

For instance on Sebago, I pound bottom until a mark appears and then you start burning it up and once you get say 25’ up the rod bends in half and it’s every damn time. I wish they did that here as a rule and not that 1 odd day a year

I can understand that. I don't mind playing the game with our more finicky fish. For me, I just love the pure torque those things put out once you drive the hook home. That said, when you're on a lake like sebago or you hit that magical once a year lottery day here in NH seeing those rocket ships race up and crush your jig it's and absolute blast and tough to beat.

[Ruimachado]

Ruimachoado,
This is a tough one to answer as lakers can be so variable based on the the lake, time of the year and even day to day. The best advice I got early on was to stay mobile. Overall I will say I tend to start my days around 40' (unless the late season smelt runs or sucker staging has begun) then I start much shallower. If I'm not seeing many marks or active marks in 10-15 minutes at a hole, I move to the next one. Sometimes just twenty feet (on ice, not depth) makes a huge difference. Once you start marking fish establishing a chase or bite ceiling helps a lot. If they only rise a little, I downsize and shorten the distance I pull away. I tend to think overall that structure matters a lot more than depth but that doesn't mean there aren't days that pounding a sand flat doesn't produce in a big way. In general NH lake trout don't seem to be as aggressive as they are in some of the neighboring states but often with a more finesse approach you can still put quite a few fish on the ice. Hope there's something useful in here somewhere.

The aggression part I have to agree, I catch more lakers on a 2" paddle tail than with a little bigger presentations, but my whole concern is consistency on finding cruising fish, a few holes I fish normally have a fish come by at least every hour, but that's on a good day, that tells me I'm on the wrong depths or just targeting wrong structure(holes and funnels)
During the smelt staging those same holes are loaded with smelt and lakers and can easily put 20 fish on the ice before lunch time, but that's when bait is concentrated on a relatively small area.
So after my whole mumbling my question is, should I keep targeting same depths but different areas or should I target deeper water( 60ft+)?

[FreshwaterPhil]

Over time, I've noticed numbers tend to be better fishing in 35 to 50 feet, but sizes bigger in 10 - 20 feet. The bigger ones also seem to be more aggressive in shallower water, bite is usually immediate once they show up on flasher.

[Hottuna5150]

The aggression part I have to agree, I catch more lakers on a 2" paddle tail than with a little bigger presentations, but my whole concern is consistency on finding cruising fish, a few holes I fish normally have a fish come by at least every hour, but that's on a good day, that tells me I'm on the wrong depths or just targeting wrong structure(holes and funnels)
During the smelt staging those same holes are loaded with smelt and lakers and can easily put 20 fish on the ice before lunch time, but that's when bait is concentrated on a relatively small area.
So after my whole mumbling my question is, should I keep targeting same depths but different areas or should I target deeper water( 60ft+)?

I guess without putting too fine a point on it, it sounds like you found a killer smelt staging spot. Which is awesome, but early season (at least on my staging spots) they won't put up the same numbers as they will in march. Not even close. I would try branching out, try fishing inside turns, points, rises, etc (structures that aid in feeding) either that are adjacent to deeper or "big" water this time of year. Like I said, I might start at 40' on a given day on a given structure but by days end I might have found my best numbers in 10' fow or 120' (the prior usually late ice but not exclusively) on or near that same structure or I might end up putting 4-7 miles on the boots to find aggressive fish (relatively speaking). I know I'm not directly answering your question, and that is not intentionally to be difficult, it is just that in my experience there is no way to answer it concisely.

[zwiggles]

Fish don’t know where they are supposed to be, they just follow the grub. I agree on concentrating on certain areas early, and late season, but you never really know until you try. The lake can fish differently even based on which basin you are in.

On the aggression piece, does anyone else think NHs laws in chumming have an impact on their aggression?

[Ruimachado]

I guess without putting too fine a point on it, it sounds like you found a killer smelt staging spot. Which is awesome, but early season (at least on my staging spots) they won't put up the same numbers as they will in march. Not even close. I would try branching out, try fishing inside turns, points, rises, etc (structures that aid in feeding) either that are adjacent to deeper or "big" water this time of year. Like I said, I might start at 40' on a given day on a given structure but by days end I might have found my best numbers in 10' fow or 120' (the prior usually late ice but not exclusively) on or near that same structure or I might end up putting 4-7 miles on the boots to find aggressive fish (relatively speaking). I know I'm not directly answering your question, and that is not intentionally to be difficult, it is just that in my experience there is no way to answer it concisely.

Not at all, I appreciate all the good info and a good discussion, fish are dumber than what we make them be, but at the same time they still outsmart everyone on the water 99.9% of the time
A good discussion and different points of view makes for everyone to think on different ways they fish, not a person in the world that knows everything, really appreciate all the different points of view and info shared on this forum.
Now to plan the next 4h round trip for lakers this weekend  , hope to meet some of you guys on the ice some day

[AQUAASSASSIN]

On the aggression piece, does anyone else think NHs laws in chumming have an impact on their aggression?

No not even in the slightest. I also think it’s a horrible thought to bring to the table if anyone’s asking. More rules, that’s what we need!

[Hottuna5150]

On the aggression piece, does anyone else think NHs laws in chumming have an impact on their aggression?

It is possible but I wouldn't attribute that to it so much since even summer drift jigging is wildly different than many of the big waters in neighboring states.

[lowaccord66]

Numbers of lakers (my best days on ice were 33 and 44 lakers) are found on main basin flats. 

Big ones like these can be anywhere (45 fow).  I typically spend most of the season in 50-80 fow and lakers are all I target on ice. (When possible)

That said I dislike NH laker fisheries.  NY/VT far superior for numbers and size.

[lowaccord66]

Phenomenal post Keith.

You are spot on with the aggression here. I think it’s actually why I do t fish them here and just get a bunch by accident.

For instance on Sebago, I pound bottom until a mark appears and then you start burning it up and once you get say 25’ up the rod bends in half and it’s every damn time. I wish they did that here as a rule and not that 1 odd day a year

Sebago has decent chasers.  Winni they need finesse so I hate fishing there.  NY/VT its not uncommon to make them chase 40,50,60 ft before they hit the jig.  Bottom pounding is a good tactic.  Took a while to realize theyll eat a jig just dead on the bottom.

As for chum, last year wqs the first time I did it.  All medium ahiner chunks chopped small.  What happened after a few trips we'd see groups of lakers cruising below the ice looking for the chum.  Then jigged those while they were in sight below the hole.  They were equally agressive chum vs no chum but did change where they were in the watwr column.  We saw much less chasing of the jig from lakers on the bottom.  Even so I dont think chun is needed.  In clear water lakers can easily see 30ft.  So many lakers will come to smash a suspended jig that I typically will leave one 30-45ft off the bottom and then eventually see the mark coming up to see the jig, begin reeling away and boom.  How these lakers feed has been eye opening ever since Ive started running panoptics then livescope.  They do really weird stuff!

[zwiggles]

No not even in the slightest. I also think it’s a horrible thought to bring to the table if anyone’s asking. More rules, that’s what we need!

Oh yeah, we def do not need anymore laws. I was just thinking out loud. The ones in shallow sure seem to have wised up to the egg game, but that also could be overthinking it as well.

[sebago2jigtima]

if you find the bait, the fish will follow
i dont do to well on winni
sebago i do well but cant seem to  find em shallow
60  to 200ft deep is were i do best
nothing like getting ur jig crushed and setting the hook 
cant say early or late ice, cause sebago is only fishable like 6 weeks 
4"glow chartreuse mullet paddle tail, on half oz glow jighead  has uped my catch, tip with meat,
and no not hotdogs 
just my 2cents
lots of good tips by others also 

[AQUAASSASSIN]

Oh yeah, we def do not need anymore laws. I was just thinking out loud. The ones in shallow sure seem to have wised up to the egg game, but that also could be overthinking it as well.

That is veryyyy true. One thing to consider however, we are in a bigger cycle year for bows and have been trending the last few again. I remember last time this happened the egg bite went cold as well. Then the new smaller class coming up through last time set it on fire again. I think there is a corrallation with cycles of the different age classes.

[lowaccord66]

That is veryyyy true. One thing to consider however, we are in a bigger cycle year for bows and have been trending the last few again. I remember last time this happened the egg bite went cold as well. Then the new smaller class coming up through last time set it on fire again. I think there is a corrallation with cycles of the different age classes.

Lakers dont eat eggs.  Start an egg thread for dick. 

[AQUAASSASSIN]

Lakers dont eat eggs.  Start an egg thread for dick.

Lollll

I have caught them on eggs a time or 2

[sebago2jigtima]

all trout like eggs 

[lowaccord66]

Lollll

I have caught them on eggs a time or 2

Doesnt surprise me but do know you dont "egg them" like you would bows in a 2 trap lake.  Might be the coolest trick I know about how you guys fish up there. 

Sebago2jigtima you know you arent watching a laker chase eggs 80ft through the water column like they do jigs.  To me that's why lakers are awesome. 

[sebago2jigtima]

right on 

[800stealth]

Nice thread, I'm no laker guy but appreciate the knowledge being laid down...

[lowaccord66]

Nice thread, I'm no laker guy but appreciate the knowledge being laid down...

Im so addicted.  Anytime you want to get slimed lemme know.  Can even be on your home turf although not preferred.

[Lv2hunt]

Lakers dont eat eggs.  Start an egg thread for dick.

Dick only fishes for perch!!

[Hottuna5150]

Im so addicted.  Anytime you want to get slimed lemme know.  Can even be on your home turf although not preferred.

X2 on the addiction. I switch up my target species almost every trip out but if I had to pick just one for the rest of my days, I’ll take burp sharks 100%

[Ruimachado]

Nice thread, I'm no laker guy but appreciate the knowledge being laid down...

Hey sometimes it's all we need on this kind of platform, just a well rounded discussion with no spot burn, ice thickness questions and just good general info without broadcasting your secrets to the world.
Loving all the information, definitely cuts down on the learning curve a whole lot, coming from someone that didn't grow up in the states or even a place with freshwater fishing this really helps a lot, there's only soo much YouTube garbage you can watch with little to no local knowledge.

[bassin212]

Everything on here is spot on. One thing I had heard from a seminar I watched, although sometimes I think it’s tough to apply those tactics as it was in the Midwest and I think laker fishing is different lake to lake let alone different states. Your more aggressive lake trout typically come shallow to feed, and bigger lakers tend to like mud flats where they can just roam and eat. Something interesting that was said is it’s more efficient to either fish numbers or size, not both. Which makes sense. So theoretically if you’re after numbers you should generally fish shallower and if you want bigs prob big baits on mud flats?

As for winni lakers not being chasers I agree. But my last two outings I’ve been spoiled and have caught a hand few of chasers on jigs with no bait. Ain’t nothing better!

[Roccus]

They are just a fresh water codfish they do similar things to codfish,
like the same structure as codfish, migrate from the deep chasing food..just like codfish.. ..they.fight just like them too..

[lowaccord66]

Flats all day fir this guy.  Edges of flats.  Inside contours.