Seafood & Gourmet Products

The Lake Trout has light spots on a black to gray background, which progressively get lighter moving down the side of the fish. The belly is white. The lower fins are often orange to orange-red with a leading white edge. Widely distributed from in North America, particularly the Great Lakes basin; Lake Trout is found in shallow and deep waters of northern lakes and streams and is restricted to deep lakes in the southern part of its range, rarely in brackish water. They prefer cold and oxygen rich water. Lake Trout generally feed on a variety of organisms such as freshwater sponges, crustaceans, insects, fishes, and plankton. Lake Trout commonly has a yellow or creamy colored flesh but may be anything from white to orange. It can be cooked using almost any method, including baking, broiling and boiling. The flavor is sweet, mild and the texture is moist. Lake Trout are commercially caught using gillnets and trap nets. This long-lived species was once the top predator in all the Great Lakes. At present, only Lake Superior and Lake Huron have commercial fisheries. Fisheries of the Great Lakes are managed Great Lakes Fishery Commission which includes provincial, state, and tribal agencies, with support from the Canadian and U. S. federal governments.