Best Lake Trout Lake

[OneidaAngler]

I'm looking for a good lake to catch some good sized lake trout. I fish Piseco every now and again but only catch the numerous dinks in there. I'm about an hour from there so anywhere for lake trout would be a haul. I've narrowed it down to three lakes I wouldn't mind making the drive to. Schroon Lake, Lake George, and Fourth Lake(Fourth Lake being the shorter drive about 1.5 hours, the others are both 2 hours and change from my place) Now the million dollar question: what one has the best chance of me hooking into a good fish? Opinions?

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What do you consider dinks?  I fish some of the finger lakes and jig up 20"- 24" pretty consistently.  No 15 pounders or anything but nice size for a good fight and good eating too

[swillerjig]

Otsego in Cooperstown theres a thread for it check it out

[wec]

All the lakes you mentioned are good, with Lake George being the best.

[OneidaAngler]

What do you consider dinks?  I fish some of the finger lakes and jig up 20"- 24" pretty consistently.  No 15 pounders or anything but nice size for a good fight and good eating too

I've yet to catch a 20 incher in Piseco. The state needs to drop the 21 inch limit in Piseco to 18 inches to weed out some of the fish. It's way too overpopulated. A slot limit for lake trout would be nice too. I was thinking like 15 to 21 inches is fair game and also anything over 30 inches as a trophy. I wouldn't mind catching what you are. 

[HybridHunter]

All are good lakes. Which ever one you choose I suggest really studying maps before hand. That way you have a game plan and aren't wasting time. Getting set up at first light is crucial.

[lakerdave]

Lake George

[ejp419]

Otsego is nice...but Lake George is better. If the bait comes back to Otsego then it would be close, but Lake George Lakers are beautiful fish and from what I hear they can get awful big   

[Barebow]

What about Raquette Lake, or Blue Mountain lake...Lake George definitely the best, and the biggest fih will be found in the narrows to the north basin....not as pressured as south basin...Barebow

[GAMBELL]

Wait until summer and come to the Rochester basin of Lake Ontario.  20lbers are very common.  We did a 34lb 6oz laker in 2012.  If you want big lakers through the ice, fish Canandiagua if we ever see ice on it again. 

[RIVERRAT2]

What about Raquette Lake, or Blue Mountain lake...Lake George definitely the best, and the biggest fih will be found in the narrows to the north basin....not as pressured as south basin...Barebow

I like raquette better then blue,blue is hard to get on and some times ice is ?
raquette has the numbers, geo has the size,but that is just me
 
RAT

[Raquettedacker]

Theres NO lake trout in Raquette Lake....       

[one last cast]

Theres NO lake trout in Raquette Lake....       

x2 I've never fished otsego lake, but lake George has yet to let me down. Size has never been a problem on the lakers, but the quantity is the issue at times though.

[one last cast]

I went to otsego lake earlier this week, I got into some lakers and compared to lakers from lake George they all were skinny, length was from 23" to 29" Anyone else notice this that has fished these bodies of water?

[ship of fools]

I went to otsego lake earlier this week, I got into some lakers and compared to lakers from lake George they all were skinny, length was from 23" to 29" Anyone else notice this that has fished these bodies of water?

The Otsego debacle was all over these pages last year ...... the story is DEC put waldos in to help control the alewive population and they decimated it and as a result the lakers are struggling and very skinny.

Hopefully it sorts itself out .....   i didn't fish it once last year but did ok this year a couple of times.

[Mr.Esox]

Fulton chain or Lake Champlain hands down !!!

[yarn em in]

I went to otsego lake earlier this week, I got into some lakers and compared to lakers from lake George they all were skinny, length was from 23" to 29" Anyone else notice this that has fished these bodies of water?

I caught a 32" it only weighed 9lbs. I've put nearly a 100 on the ice this winter there probably 20 were rite weight to length!

[gauglerb]

Lake George for quality, otsego is next best. Pleasant and blue have some decent ones but slow and far and few between.  Piseco is dinks all day...good for kids or someone going for first time.

[Hardwaternubie53]

My very first, and one and only came out of Lake George this season. 31+", 8+lbs.

[pmac3]

ِAll I got in Otsego this year were pencil lakers. Good for numbers, but Lake George definitely for quality. Went there for the first time this year for a weekend and I'm sold. Biggest one looked like a football.

[BOCHASER]

For giant lakers their is no doubt in my mind it's Lake Ontario!!! Outstanding numbers of fish and great quality. Lake Champlain is also putting out some great fish these days but why bother with them with the great landlock fishing up there.