Lake Trout Fishing Trips & Tips 2025
Ontario's Best Lake Trout Fishing Trips
Sydney Lake offers some of Northern Ontario's finest Lake Trout Fishing. The average depth of Sydney Lake is 65 feet, and with a large area of 200+ foot water there is a large amount of lake trout habitat. Lake trout fishing is a favourite amongst many experienced anglers who enjoy their unique fight and often amazing size.
The many shallow dark bays around the lake combined with a large deep main lake make for highly productive nutrient zones in our waters. These areas produce ample feed for the large stock of Lake Trout on Sydney Lake. This difference in feed appears to produce 3 different variations in the Lake Trout.
First is the dark near black skinned variety with white flesh. These are more common in Trout Bay, the large deep bay at the end of the eastern arm of Kilburn Lake (Trout Bay Arm).
Brown skinned lakers with orange colored flesh are rare but great eating.
The third type is pink salmon colored flesh with a light silvery colored flesh. These facts about the lake trout make for a more interesting trout fishing experience and culinary delights.
Trophy Lake Trout Fishing
A Trophy Lake Trout is one that measures 30+ inches, several of these trophy trout are over 36 inches and wiegh in at over 30 pounds. Sydney Lake has an average depth of 65 feet and has a very large and healthy trout population and many trophies waiting.
Lake trout like deep water (27'-80') and can be taken off structure by trolling and jigging.
During spawning season the last two weeks of September as well as in May they are found in shallow water and are a blast to cast spoons and plugs at.
The trout prefer a water temperature of about 53 Degrees Fahrenheit, if you can find that temperature at depth you are well on your way to finding them.
When you catch a trophy lake trout you can register it at camp with a witness and a picture. The largest trout caught in Ontario's Trophy Waters for the season wins a free trip for the next year.
Lake Trout Fishing Tackle and Equipment
Your ability to read / understand depth finder / graph is important, especially for jigging lake trout at depth. Fishing poles should vary depending on the type of trout fishing you are doing, generally med-heavy fishing rods with bait caster reels for deep jigging and speed trolling. Medium to medium heavy rods and reels with bait caster or open face for casting. Heavier line is also recommended with a range from 12 to 30lb. test.
For lake trout fishing tackle use hammered silver spoons, Rattle traps, floating Rapalas, Shad raps, Dr. Spoons, large 1 oz little Cleos, 1/2-3/8 oz erie dere single hook. Use sliver / blue, sliver, gold, and silver chartreuse. Jigging works great with airplane lures, Getzits (tube jigs), and 1/2 - 1oz jig heads.
Lake Trout Fishing Tips & Techniques
Lake Trout Fishing in cooler months means shallow techniques. In mid May you can catch trout from shore right at the camp. Early mornings and evenings work best. Trolling with spoons at a depth of 25-45 feet in front of camp and across the lake in front of the Blood Brothers Islands yields great results. Very your trolling speed to change your lure depth quickly to help find the correct depth where the action is. By late June jigging off of the break on plateaus with jigs, getzits and airplane lures.
The Lake Trout go deep in the summer (water temp above 58 degrees) troll deep using 8-14 lb test, deep divers and lots of weight are suggested. Troll in forward varying your speed, this not only excites the trout but it also captures their attention at varying depths. Use a variety of spoons and Rapala's. Cicada's and airplane jigs are also highly recommended. The other method of summer fishing is to vertical jig using a lead head with a 3" white twister tail, or even better is a Getzit (tube jig-looks like a squid and is hollow to place the jig inside) 1/2 - 1 oz. depending upon depths you are trout fishing. Sometimes tip the jig with a minnow.
Fall may be the best time to fish trout. The Lake Trout get ready to spawn near the end of September and go shallow on rocky shores. On Sydney the best places to fish are on the east side of the lake including the southern Islands, Pineneedle Bay, Blood Brothers Islands, Half Way Island and through the islands going to Tranquility Bay in the north end of the lake. Casting towards shore and away both work well, as in darker choppy days the trout move shallower, but on clear calmer days they will hang off at about 20 feet deep and move shallower sporadically. The best time of day is in the mornings and the second best being in the late afternoon and early evening. Spoons like little Cleo's are very effective with bright colors working best.
Fly-In Lake Trout Fishing Trips
Sydney Lake Lodge offers 3 to 7 day fly-in lake trout fishing trips in Northern Ontario, Canada. In addition to fantastic lake trout fishing, you'll have a ball with the walleyes and northern pike too.
While its popular for distant excursions to the Northwest Territories or Lake Athabasca for lakers, you can enjoy world class trout fishing much closer to home.
The large are of deep water hold a huge population of lake trout. They are waiting for you - you just got to come and get them.
The right techniques enable many of our fishermen to jig the lakers just like walleye with stunning numbers caught in mere hours.
Check out our fly-in fishing trip packages for more information on the best Canadian fly-in lake trouting trips in 2025.
