Lake Superior is not just a body of water; it is an underwater mountain range disguised as a lake. It has more fresh water than the rest of Great Lakes combined. Because of these factors, deep zones has high pressure and fish are limited by cold water temperatures.
This doesn’t mean there isn’t life, it just means that life figures out how to live here. Multiple species of trout-like fish fills various roles in the food chain. While many of these fish looks similar, they’re not exactly alike.
Different biology, habitats, and fishing characteristics makes knowing the difference important. The term Great Lakes “lake” trout is inaccurate because it refers to all large, spotted members of salmonid family. In truth there are several different lineages of fish with their own genetics that split apart over many thousands of years.
Some are native to the system. Others were put into lakes by people through stocking programs. Knowing the difference is important as it impacts not only where you can expect to catch them but also how to pursue them.
Different Types of Lake Trout Found in Superior
1. Lake Trout
It is more than just identifying the species; you also need to know its origin and stock structure. In the past, the native trout found in these waters was the Lake Trout, (Salvelinus namaycush). It migrated into the lake during the final days of the ice age and adapted itself to live among the cold currents flowing along the bottom of the lake.
Its torpedo-shaped body is sleek and streamlined, helping it move effective in high-pressure conditions. Finishes are easily identified by white or light yellow coloration on the ends. Cold water also slows their growth rate, so an average twenty inch trout could be two decades old.
To catch them requires patience and some serious tackle as they will go after lake herring and ciscoes around deep basins. The population has recovered from past overfishing thanks to conservation efforts, but it still remains at risk. Within the lake trout family, Keweenaw Bay produce its own genetic strain.
2. Keweenaw Bay Trout
Isolation in certain bays has also gave rise to characteristics found nowhere else in the species. In the warmer months, shallower waters of certain bays warm up slightly faster in summer, allowing for more active feeding periods. As such, these trout tend to have more active feeding period and reach larger sizes than their age.
Because of this, you’ll typically find them holding tighter to reef structures in shallower depths different than typical lake trout. They are colored up a little more darkly as well to blend with the rocky bottom. Fishing approaches for this strain differ from what anglers employ out on the open lake.
It’s a great example of how local adaptation can create unique fishing tactics for specific fisheries within one species. There is also a unique ecotype of lake trout called the Siscowet, which has lived only in waters deeper than two thousand feet for thousands of years. By feeding on deep-water prey such as chubs and sculpins, they reach extremely large size (up to 60+ pounds).
3. Siscowet
Their meat is fatty, giving rise to their reputation as table fare. Originating from the Ojibwe language, it mean big fish. A siscowet can be recognized by its darker coloring and yellow/amber spotting of the fins.
Because they recover poorly from over-fishing due to their slow growth rate, they are often protected and very rarely seen. It takes a lot of patience and skill to catch one. These are Brook Trout.
4. Brook Trout
A member of the region’s cold-water fishery, the Brook Trout is generally not caught within Lake Superior itself but mostly in its tributaries which flow into the lake. Because it needs well-oxygenated and cold water, the brook trout tends to be smaller than its lake-dwelling cousins. When you are wading into creeks along the shoreline prior to putting your boat into the water, that’s when you’ll run into brook trout.
Their fighting styles is more acrobatic and aggressive then the way deepwater trolls bite. The regulations for each are very different. You must know those differences to follow the rules.
A lot of folks hit those streams first to get warmed up before heading out to the deeper water. Splake: Not a naturally occurring species, this hybrid results from mating a male lake trout with a female brook trout. It was produced to increase stocks elsewhere on Great Lakes.
5. Splake
However, people have resisted introducing it widely into Lake Superior due to concerns about maintaining native genetics. When present, splakes has been found to be more tolerant of slightly higher water temperatures and achieve faster growth rates than pure lake trout. They exhibit the size potential of lake trout and hardiness of brook trout.
Identification can be difficult initially because their fin spots are mixed. While some anglers enjoy them as a consistent producer of fishable biomass, others chafe at the human intervention in nature. The controversy highlights the conflict between recreational opportunity and conservation purity.
Knowing the differences makes all the difference when fishing for various types of lake trout on Lake Superior. Instead of viewing them as one single group of trout, you’ll begin to recognize their individual history, depth range, strategy, etc. Knowing what species you’re targeting will help you become more successful; this lake requires attention to detail and rewards careful consideration. Every species presents its own set of challenges due to their respective habitats and adaptations.