Lake Trout weight ?

[BP Swing]

Got a nice one the other day but had no scale. 38.5" x 20. Anyone caught one around that size that was weighed on a accurate scale? I think it was my personal best laker. Im guessing 20-23 lbs. but its only a guess. Anyone? I dont know how accurate the online fish calculators are.

[Capt Vince Pierleoni]

Where did you catch it? A L. Ontario laker that long would be a minimum of 23lbs, and could push high twenties, unless it was a spawned out Niagara river fish. Some of the finger lakes guys on here could probably give you a better estimate if it was from those waters. Congrats!

[BP Swing]

Vince it was from the Niagara River and was very fat. If lakers are spawning this time of year are they spawning in the river? Some are in the river, some out in the lake??? Why? Thanks for your response, I was hoping a charter Capt. could give me a answer.

[Capt Vince Pierleoni]

The Niagara is one of the few rivers in the world that gets a Lake trout run, probably because of the depth at the mouth. Yes, they do actively spawn in the river and on "the bar". This is one of those historical sites that used to produce many of the naturally reproduced Lake trout before their demise in the 50's. It is not known if they are successful with any hatching in the river, but they do produce some fry that survives while spawning on the bar. Watch for the annoucements of the "state of the lake" meetings, both on this forum and in newspapers. They have them annually in March, 2 locations that would work for you would be Lockport and Rochester. They usually give reports on Lake trout survival.

That was a giant. I have only boated a couple like that over the years. I believe the lake Ontario record was 41'' long. I'm sure you are aware, but because of their fall spawning and the restoration goal of the species, the season is closed in Lake Ontario and its tributaries from Oct 1st and reopens on Jan 1st.

[BP Swing]

Thanks Capt. Vince for the info and yes it was released and swam away.

[kliph]

38.5" x 20. That is a nice fish. But a 20 inch girth seems on the light side.

I caught a laker a few years ago that was 36 in long, but fatter.

I thought it went 25+#.

Are there different strains of laker's in Lake Ontario?

[Capt Vince Pierleoni]

Absolutely. There are several different strains planted, although in recent years they have narrowed it down to the ones they feel give the best shot for natural restoration. I know strains from the upper Great lakes tend to be fatter in general. They love the Seneca strain in Ontario, and they tend to be slightly more slender with vivid coloration. The Lakers we encounter in the Niagara definitely tend to be more streamlined in general. There is also a tremendous difference in body shapes between a male or female laker, regardless of strain.

Your 36" laker could have very easily went in the mid-20lb range. Some of the older ones look like they couldn't get out of their own way.

[kliph]

This is from is for Lake Huron, but we can see why the Seneca strain is stocked in lake Ontario.

Lake trout from Seneca Lake, New York, were also included in the Lake Huron program in an attempt to

inject sea lamprey resistant strains into the system. Unlike their Great Lakes counterparts who quickly

succumbed to this parasite, lake trout in Seneca Lake have coexisted with sea lamprey for centuries.

Moreover, Seneca Lake strain fish had been successfully stocked in Lake Champlain, New York in the

early 1960s where they are reported to have survived and reproduced in the presence of sea lamprey. While

no details were provided, New York biologists attributed their survival to the possibility that either this

strain was less susceptible to attack or more resistant to sea lamprey predation.

http://www.fws.gov/midwest/alpena/docum ... -cwt05.pdf

Lake Trout Strain Program

Genetic strains - Historically, as many as 12 sub-populations or strains of lake trout stocks may have

inhabited Lake Huron, each reflecting various degrees of adaptation to their local environment. However,

with the exception of two remnant stocks in Georgian Bay, these variations have been lost forever.

[GAMBLER]

The one I won the 2005 fall LOC lake trout division weighed 24.11lbs and was 41" long. I have no idea what the girth was on the fish. I had a 23lb. 15 oz fish the following year that was only 36" long but much fatter. Both fish were weighed on LOC derby scales.