Best Lake Trout Lures of 2023

How are you able to not respect the lake trout? A possible goliath of a freshwater predator, the laker is a stunningly enticing creature—onerous charging, usually scrumptious and a survivor of each conceivable calamity, from overfishing to environmental shifts to invasive species. And but, inexplicably, the traditional, authentic Great Lakes cousin of the char (Salvelinus namaycush) stays slightly an afterthought in lots of its North nation haunts. When fishing for salmon or walleyes or different species fall quick, lake trout appear to all the time be there to take up the slack. In quick, lake trout eagerly eat lures and supply a few of the most lively sport accessible, notably within the coldwater months.

Like many lake trout followers, I grew up trolling the Great Lakes and enormous mountainous reservoirs with downriggers, diving plugs, spoons and different flashy lures to cowl water. But the little secret is, lake trout reply particularly effectively to vertical or casting displays already acquainted to the bass and walleye brigade. Lake trout like to chew gentle plastics. And as we proceed to find, dropping a gentle tube, jerk shad, or paddletail swimbait in the precise neighborhood practically all the time elicits a robust predatory response—made much more thrilling by the prospect of a 15-, 20- or 30-pound fish that may surpass 50 years of age. If you wish to catch one in all these giants, you’ll want the perfect lake trout lures. Here are my prime picks: 

How to Choose a Lake Trout Lure

One of the primary steps in studying the way to catch lake trout is lure choice. The main issues affecting lure selection for lake trout embody water temperature, fish depth, and particular location. In spring, when water temps vary from the mid 40s to mid 50s, lake trout might cling to shallow rocky construction the place casting with jig/plastic combos, crankbaits, or spoons can all elicit strikes. 

As waters heat into the 60s and 70s in summer season, lake trout usually pursue pelagic baitfish comparable to herring (ciscoes), smelt and alewives into deeper important lake basin areas. Here, trolling for suspended fish—typically close to the thermocline— stays the high-percentage strategy. Downriggers and spoons or plugs canvasses extra actual property and will get your lure in entrance of extra fish per hour. In late summer season, fall and winter, when lake trout go to submerged islands topping out from 20 to 80 ft of water, vertical jigging with quite a lot of lures, comparable to gentle plastic flukes, tubes or bladebaits provide a precision presentation for protecting smaller zones. Late fall additionally finds lake trout spawning on comparatively shallow rocky buildings—or close to river inlets.

 Key Features

• Versatile minnow / baitfish profile matches lake trout forage
• Darting minnow motion induces following lake trout to strike
• Sizes: 4, 5, and seven inches 
• Scented with 100-percent pure Pro-Cure Super Gel 
• Must Have Colors: Bad Shad, Smelt, and Shiner

Pros

• Soft, extremely sturdy ElaZtech materials stands as much as a number of violent strikes and fish catches per bait
• Buoyancy of bait gives a pure, horizontal baitfish posture within the water—particularly when rigged on a jighead.
• ElaZtech materials absorbs and retains oil-based scents, like Pro-Cure for prolonged intervals.

Cons

• ElaZtech bait materials can’t be saved beside conventional PVC gentle plastics

While removed from a standard trout lure, the Z-Man Scented Jerk ShadZ’ was found by bass and walleye anglers who realized they had been catching spectacular numbers of sizeable lake trout, even alongside shallower construction. In current seasons, we’ve been rigging the bait on a ¼- to 1/2-ounce jighead, such because the Z-Man Finesse EyeZ or HeadlockZ HD jighead, dropping the lure on suspended or deep trout searching hard-bottom factors or humps.

The reverse of monotonous trolling strategies is actively casting and vertically jigging with bass-style, gentle plastic jerkbaits. That method has grow to be more and more in style throughout the lake trout’s vary—from clear Rocky Mountain reservoirs and Canadian lakes to the Great Lakes and past. Among numerous gentle jerkbait choices, Z-Man’s gentle, buoyant, sturdy and non-toxic ElaZtech Jerk ShadZ has risen to the highest of many anglers’ preferences. I first found the attract of this bait whereas ice fishing for lake trout on Lake of the Woods, Ontario. Since then, I’ve discovered the lure works equally effectively when forged from a ship.

Rigged on a 90-degree jighead (eyelet positioned perpendicular to the hook shank) the Scented Jerk ShadZ hovers within the pure horizontal posture of a dwell baitfish. One nice recreation plan is to find lake trout on sonar, dropping the lure all the way down to their place, usually stopping it 5 ft or so above the fish. Often, a trout will race proper up and smash the Jerk ShadZ effectively earlier than it reaches backside. If fish comply with however fail to chew, I’ll give the bait a number of small twitches, lifting it a number of ft, compelling trout to eat. Or, go much more aggressive, ripping the bait violently earlier than stopping and letting it hover in that pure horizontal place. Strikes are normally fast and rod-jarring.

Key Features

• Offered in 14 sizes, from 1- to 6-inches
• Banana form produces robust vibrating, vast wiggle motion.
• Must Have Colors: Firetiger, Bleeding Frog, and Rainbow Trout

Pros

• Hard wobbling, vibrating motion
• Available in numerous shade mixtures, together with the perennially in style “Frog” sample.

Cons

• Requires added weight to succeed in depths higher than 20 ft.

Legendary for its propensity to catch huge fish, Charlie Helin’s authentic FlatFish was designed to supply an attractive vast wiggling motion when trolled at sluggish speeds. As velocity will increase, the lure provides off a determined “sonic thump” that attracts lake trout from afar.

For the really huge lake trout of the far north, a 6-inch FlatFish trolled throughout shallow 20-foot rocky outcrops stays one of the vital dependable strategies accessible. Regardless of whether or not you’re flatline (no added weight) trolling the lure or pulling it behind an inline sinker or downrigger in a lot deeper water, one key to the FlatFish’s success is assuring its nostril periodically scrapes throughout rock and different hard-bottom substrate. Bottom contact makes the lure sashay and transfer in all kinds of random instructions, typically triggering a constructive predatory response.

For added attraction, some anglers sweeten the providing by including a small baitfish fillet or nightcrawler to the lure’s trailing hook. Guides and constitution captains additionally sometimes wrap the lure with a skinny triangle formed fillet of sardine or herring, utilizing gentle monofilament or elastic thread, ending the wrap with a number of half-hitch knots.

Key Features

• Weight: 5.4-ounces
• Baitfish profile
• Tail spinner blade
• Must Have Colors: Whizzard Shad, Space Monkey and Pearl

Pros

• Durable gentle plastic materials holds as much as quite a few huge fish.
• Quick-darting, swimming motion triggers fish from a distance.
• Ideal for deep water 

Cons

• May be too massive for lakes with smaller lake trout solely.

The 5.4-ounce Bondy Bait Junior may be forged and retrieved, horizontally, or dropped overboard for deeper lake trout found with sonar. Its further weight retains the angler repeatedly in contact with the lure, which additionally exhibits up effectively on electronics. Strikes are usually sharp and aggressive—and the lure attracts bites from the biggest specimens—making it a logical selection in lots of waters. Its propensity to elicit strikes from bonus huge pike, muskies and walleyes provides to the Bondy Bait’s attract.

Originally meant as a muskie lure, clever anglers have steadily found the fast-sinking, darting motion of the Bondy Bait for large lake trout. Particularly for pursuing trout in deep, clear Canadian lakes or mountain reservoirs. The Bondy plummets shortly to 30 ft to get into the strike zone shortly. Great Lakes information Jon Bondy affords a number of sizes of the Bondy Bait, together with the unique 7.5 inch, 7-ounce measurement. This ignored lake trout lure is obtainable in a ton of various colours, every armed with twin 3/0 treble hooks.

Key Features

• 5-inch baitfish profile physique
• Subtle baitfish patterns match prevailing lake trout forage.
• Must Have Colors: Alewife, Ice Shad, and Fire Perch

Pros

• Soft but robust composition
• Smartly designed paddletail kicks in any respect retrieve speeds

Cons

• Relatively costly at over $1 per bait (MSRP $4.99 per 4-pack)

This is huge bait for catching for catching large lake trout. Featuring a real baitfish form and refined, fluid swimming movement, the Lunker City SwimFish stays probably the greatest constructed paddletail swimbaits accessible. Swim it by shallow water on a weighted swimbait hook or a 3/8- to 1-ounce jighead for a deeper presentation and added physique wobble on the retrieve.

Among an extra of paddletail swimbaits accessible in the present day, Lunker City’s SwimFish stands aside for its skill to supply bites from the biggest predators. Fished sluggish alongside deep structural edges or quicker throughout shallow water, the SwimFish retains its true swimming movement—refined paddletail kick and slight physique wobble—with out over-exaggeration.

This is likely one of the first nice paddletail swimbaits I fished for lake trout a few years in the past, and it stays a favourite in the present day. Rigged on a ¾-ounce Owner Saltwater Bullet jighead, the SwimFish may be counted down and slow-rolled to at the very least 20 ft, particularly with 20-pound take a look at braid and a protracted fluorocarbon chief. To set off following trout, give the lure one or two onerous rips to make it dart proper or left. In clear lakes with ciscoes, smelt or comparable forage, the alewife sample stays an appetizing selection.

Key Features

• Innovative mid-body line tie creates a novel pull level and practical horizontal flash on the rise and fall.
• Designed by Patrick Sébile.
• Updated shade patterns by Berkley
• Weight: 1/8-ounce to 1-ounce
• Length: 1 ½ to 2 ⅝ inches 
• Must Have Colors: Holo Greenie, Golden Shiner and White Perch 

Pros

• A extremely balanced lure that—not like conventional blade baits—hardly ever turns into ensnared in its personal hooks and line. (Use heavy, stiff fluorocarbon for greatest outcomes.)
• Fast price of fall with optimum flash and refined vibration

Cons

• May be too small (size) or weight for sure trophy lake trout conditions

Originally meant as a saltwater lure, the Vibrato has confirmed its mettle with many freshwater predators, lake trout outstanding amongst them. Unlike most blade baits that resemble shad, the Vibrato includes a slender cool-water baitfish profile, matching herring (ciscoes), smelt, shiners, and child trout—all most popular prey species of trophy lakers.

Among many authentic Patrick Sébile designs, the Vibrato has flown largely underneath the radar amongst different lures in its (bladebait) class. Its lengthy, slender profile stands aside from conventional bladed baits, which generally resemble deeper bodied shad. Anglers have additionally typically mistaken the Vibrato for a horizontal spoon model lure. But make no mistake, it is a dynamic vibrating, flashing lure that shines in 10 to roughly 50 ft of water—forged horizontally and zipped alongside backside or vertically jigged.

To take advantage of the lure’s efficiency, take into account fishing the Vibrato on 15- to 30- pound braided line and a 4- to 10-foot fluorocarbon chief of matching break-strength. While many anglers make the error of retrieving the lure with lengthy, quick rips of the rod, I imagine the Vibrato induces most strikes from lake trout when dropped to backside (or a sure depth of suspended fish) and given one quick, quick pull at a time, between protracted pauses. Done appropriately, you’ll detect not more than two to 4 quick thumps of the lure by your rod tip. Strikes typically happen because the lure pauses, simply after you end making the lure dart.

Key Features

• Three sizes: 3-1/4- to 4-3/4-inch
• VMC treble hook & stainless-steel break up ring
• Dozens of colours accessible.
• Must Have Colors: una Melt, Glow/Michael Jackson and Smurf.  

Pros

• Dozens of colours accessible, together with UV patterns.
• Heavy sufficient for casting or trolling.

Cons

• Not accessible in a 5-inch plus measurement for lake trout feeding on bigger forage.

The Silver Streak is a basic skinny, slender spoon profile, stamped from pure brass and plated with silver, gold, copper, or black nickel to carry as much as the abuse of deepwater predators. The Silver Streak, like most nice trolling spoons, swims with that alluring tail flip and flash motion that compels trout to snap.

Run behind a downrigger, three-way rig or a dodger/flasher to spoon mixture, the Silver Streak merely catches fish—every thing from lake trout, steelhead, king and coho salmon to walleyes. Trolling speeds of 1.8 to three mph and even quicker in summer season produce many of the motion. Each day, lake trout can present determined preferences for trolling velocity, so skilled anglers normally experiment with velocity till they discover a vary the fish want. Moreover, veteran trollers combine and match quite a lot of spoon colours—routinely operating six or extra strains in a trolling unfold—to offer fish a possibility to show their selection du jour.

Key Features

• Length: 4-⅜ inch 
• Scatter Lip Design yields erratic swimming motion.
• Balsa physique
• Must Have Colors: Rapala Blue (with silver/white stomach, Purpledescent, and Custom HD Live Smelt

Pros

• Proven Rapala Minnow profile and motion—tight, refined shimmy with the addition on random, side-to-side darting motions
• Slender minnow profile mimics the baitfish most frequently focused by lake trout.
• Trolls easily at as much as about 4-mph (quicker speeds can set off extra trout).

Cons

• Balsa development not as sturdy as ABS
• May require changing with beefier hooks for jarring strikes from huge fish.

While Rapala’s Scatter Rap collection stays considerably ignored relative to the corporate’s basic crankbait choices, the Scatter Rap Minnow’s random, erratic juking motion produces distinctive outcomes when trolled behind a downrigger ball, three-way rig or leadcore line for deepwater lake trout. With 20-pound braided line, the lure additionally dives to at the very least 10 ft (or deeper with 100 ft or extra of line out), perfect for early season or late fall trout operating shallower construction.

Expert lake trout anglers know that lake trout routinely comply with trolled lures for substantial distances with out hanging. Typically, with out some form of added dimension of motion—lure stops, begins or sideways jukes—lake trout typically hesitate to eat straight-retrieved lures. The particular lip design of the Scatter Rap Minnow compels the lure to randomly dart left or proper, harking back to a fleeing preyfish. Many occasions, notably when trolled by open water, such an “evasive” motion, as Rapala phrases it, may be the deadliest of all strike triggers for large lake trout, in addition to salmon and different predators.

Early within the season or late in fall when lake trout frequent shallow construction, I’ve wielded the Scatter Rap Minnow with a medium-heavy energy spinning sort out, casting to trout with large success. A straight, regular retrieve prompts the lure’s erratic motion—or add occasional rod tip jerks to intensify the fleeing prey impact.

Key Features

• Imbued with Berkley’s confirmed PowerBait scent system.
• Lengths: 2 1/2, 3 ½, and 4 ½ inches
• Must Have Colors: White, Lucky Penny and Smoke Gold

Pros

• PowerBait system appeals to a lake trout’s acute senses of style and scent
• Simple, generalist bait profile imitates quite a lot of lake trout meals.

Cons

• Lure’s tendency to spiral on the autumn can create line twists in deep water.

A basic wintertime lake trout lure, the Berkley PowerBait Power Tube appeals to lake trout through scent, softness and its continually quaking tentacles.

There’s one thing undeniably magic a couple of plain white or gold coloured tube bait, notably for lake trout by a gap within the ice. As predators with a determined desire for chilly water, lake trout may be extremely lively through the frozen water interval—and a tube stays the best of all displays.

I first recall catching a great deal of huge wintertime lake trout on a 3/8-ounce jighead and 3-½ inch tube within the late Nineteen Eighties on Colorado’s Lake Granby. Fished beside the extra conventional spoons and airplane jigs, the tube was a revelation, particularly when filled with scent-soaked with cotton balls. Today, each good ice lake trout angler is aware of in regards to the attract of those baits, notably scented PowerBait Tubes.

Thread one onto a 3/8- to 1-ounce jighead with a keeper barb or insert the jig into the tube’s physique, poking the eyelet by the plastic materials. To obtain a pronounced spiraling impact on the drop—which might set off extra fish—poke the jig eyelet out of the bait an inch or two again towards the tail, creating an open pocket within the bait’s head and an altered heart of gravity. Anglers additionally sometimes poke a scent-soaked cotton swab into the hole physique cavity earlier than inserting the jig.

FAQs

Final Thoughts 

Lake trout stay one of many preeminent, although typically ignored North American freshwater fish—a real native species that first appeared after the final nice ice age, as glaciers started receding. According to A.J. McClane’s New Standard Fishing Encyclopedia, the lake trout is the one freshwater species that ranges into the far north of Canada and Alaska, however that doesn’t prolong westward throughout the Bering Strait into Siberia. It’s an fascinating thriller, given that each different freshwater fish whose vary approaches the Bering Strait has succeeded in crossing over. Even in the present day, scientists stay mystified.