UTERLake trout fishing in Lake Ontario
In Lake Ontario, lake trout peak April–August and October and are around year-round, spawning in October, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. April: Niagara Bar lakers on jigs.
Tail of the salmon run; browns and steelhead follow; St. Lawrence muskie. Brown trout and steelhead behind the spawning kings; big muskie on the St. Lawrence and the Niagara.
Lake trout in Lake Ontario, month by month
- JanuaryAround
- FebruaryAround
- MarchAround
- AprilPeakNiagara Bar lakers on jigs.
- MayPeakNiagara Bar kings; browns and coho everywhere shallow. The Bar and the river mouths — spoons and plugs in the warmer brown water.
- JunePeakKings go offshore; smallmouth season opens on the eastern basin. Downriggers on the temperature breaks; tubes on Henderson Harbor's shoals (check DEC's opener).
- JulyPeakOpen-lake kings and summer steelhead. Spoons and flasher-flies over the thermocline; steelhead high in the water column offshore.
- AugustPeak
- SeptemberAround
- OctoberSpawningTail of the salmon run; browns and steelhead follow; St. Lawrence muskie. Brown trout and steelhead behind the spawning kings; big muskie on the St. Lawrence and the Niagara.
- NovemberAround
- DecemberAround
Where to fish lake trout near Niagara Bar, Olcott, Rochester
The trophy salmon lake: the Niagara Bar's spring kings, open-lake trolling for kings, coho, steelhead and lakers, the Salmon River at Pulaski with the biggest run on the lakes, the Oswego and the Lower Niagara for winter steelhead and browns, and the eastern basin's smallmouth around Henderson Harbor and the St. Lawrence.
Fish Scouter charts 31 lake spots in the Lake Ontario map area — the kinds lake trout hold on.
What to use for lake trout
- Minnows (fatheads, shiners)Hooked lightly through the lips or behind the dorsal on a #6 to #2 hook under a slip bobber for crappie, perch and walleye; a big golden shiner on a 2/0 to 4/0 for largemouth, pike and stripers.
- Leader10–20 lb fluorocarbon
- Hook#2–3/0
- Jig head1/8–1/2 oz
- Braid10–30 lb
Feeds in 34–60°F water, best at 44–54°F.
Questions anglers ask
When is the best time to catch lake trout in Lake Ontario?
Peak season is April–August and October, with fish spawning in October (often a closed or catch-and-release window — check the rule). Lake trout are here year-round. April: Niagara Bar lakers on jigs.
Where do lake trout hold in Lake Ontario?
Look on lake — around Niagara Bar, Olcott, Rochester, Sodus Bay, Oswego, Pulaski.
What is the best bait for lake trout in Lake Ontario?
Live bait: minnows (fatheads, shiners). Minnows (fatheads, shiners): Hooked lightly through the lips or behind the dorsal on a #6 to #2 hook under a slip bobber for crappie, perch and walleye; a big golden shiner on a 2/0 to 4/0 for largemouth, pike and stripers. Tackle: leader 10–20 lb fluorocarbon, hook #2–3/0, jig head 1/8–1/2 oz, braid 10–30 lb.
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All about lake trout · Lake Ontario, the whole year