Pictured above is a Lake Trout caught in Marquette, Michigan. Lake Trout go by many common names such as great lakes trout, laker, namaycush, togue, grey trout and mountain trout.
The lake trout is distinguishable from many of the other trouts by its forked tail. Pelvic and anal fins usually have white leading edges and there should be no red spots like on a brook trout.
Color varies a good bit with lake trout depending on where it was caught. Some are often so ligly colored that the spots are not readily apparent. Color ranges from dark green, brown, or gray.
The lake trout range from Alaska to Northern East Coast and south to Lake Michigan.
Lake trout were virtually wiped out from the great lakes due to over fishing and the invasion by the sea lamprey. The have made great strides in bring back Lake Trout to the great lakes through sea lamprey control and continuous stocking.
Lake trout get to weights of just over 100 pounds but World Record
is currently about 72 pounds. Lake trout are slow-growing and long-lived, sometimes reaching an age of 40 years. In the far North, it may take 15 years for a lake trout to reach a weight of only 2 pounds.
The size that the Lake trout reach is largely dependant on what the fish feeds on. Lake trout feed heavily on small fish when available otherwise they will subsist on plankton, insects, or crustaceans. Obviously it is the fish eating populations that grow the largest specimens.