🌡️ Preferred water temp
8–12°C (46–54°F) in summer, shallower and cooler right at ice-out.
⏰ Best time to catch
Right at ice-out when they're shallow; deep structure/thermocline fishing through summer.
Habitat
Cold, deep, clear Shield lakes; rides the thermocline — shallow at ice-out, 15–40 m by midsummer.
Season by season
Spring
Right after ice-out they're at the surface — cast spoons and jerkbaits from shore or flatline troll.
Summer
Downriggers or 3-way rigs along the thermocline; vertical jig white tubes on humps.
Fall
Moves onto windswept shoals to spawn — most zone seasons close Sep 30.
Winter
A premier ice fish where the season's open: big tubes and spoons worked high off bottom.
What to throw
White tubes, jigging spoons, flutter spoons, cut bait; electronics make the deep game.
Popular Lake Trout lakes
Lake Superior
Lake Huron
Lake Ontario
Lake Simcoe
Big Trout Lake
Trout Lake
Lake Timiskaming
Sturgeon Lake
Lake Temagami
Red Lake
Deer Lake
Wanapitei Lake
Open the map and filter by Lake Trout to see every Ontario waterbody where it's been recorded, with depth, regulations and live conditions for each one.