Heading up in two weeks for my first trip of the year and wondering if anyone has had any luck fishing for trout on Winchell. I have only been on this lake one time, years ago, and a massive storm hit soon after we arrived so we had no luck, I remember sending a line down very deep.

Looking for suggestions or tips. Thanks.

A little late in the year for Lake Trout. The first two weeks after ice out are your best opportunity. After that they head deep, in which case, pulling them from depths is fatal and they should really only be targeted if you plan on keeping them for a meal.

It's more difficult too - hard to find them without electronics.

I've never fished while on Winchell so I can't speak to how well it will fish, but mid-June you'll be fine catching Lake Trout. You just need to fish different water columns. Start by trolling at 20-30 feet, and keep going deeper until you find them. Fatality shouldn't be a real issue, unless you're pulling them up from 80+ feet and/or fighting them for awhile in warm water. You should still plan to eat what you catch because Lake Trout taste delicious.

Thanks for the insight... Maybe I won't go after them after all...

YaMarVa: "I've never fished while on Winchell so I can't speak to how well it will fish, but mid-June you'll be fine catching Lake Trout. You just need to fish different water columns. Start by trolling at 20-30 feet, and keep going deeper until you find them. Fatality shouldn't be a real issue, unless you're pulling them up from 80+ feet and/or fighting them for awhile in warm water. You should still plan to eat what you catch because Lake Trout taste delicious. "

Thanks for the insight!

Speckled: "A little late in the year for Lake Trout. The first two weeks after ice out are your best opportunity. After that they head deep, in which case, pulling them from depths is fatal and they should really only be targeted if you plan on keeping them for a meal.


It's more difficult too - hard to find them without electronics."

Ignore what Speckled said.

I go on my trips on the 3rd or 4th week of June every year and catch trout. Just toss on a Little Cleo and troll slowly over some structure or interesting features 20-60 feet down. It isn't too hard to catch enough for dinner doing this.

I have been skunked a few times, but I blame that on the mayfly hatch.

I don't have experience on Winchell for Lakers, but I'd troll deep diving cranks, DT 16's, DT20's, tail dancers silver black clear sunny day or firetiger if overcast over deeper water. Target the active feeders that are shallower. THose lures will dive 20-30 feet depending on how much line you put out. You don't need those exact lures something similar probably works just as well.

You might catch a giant pike...that lake has some very large ones in it that behave like Lakers too.

Trout feed up and that lake never warms up...10' down it's in the 50-60 degree temps :)

It's a misnomer you have to fish deep fort trout, you can catch trout shallow all year long, heck I've had them bust the surface in August on a hot sunny day. If you haul them from the depths it's hard on them but if you get them while they are shallow feeding it doesn't seem to have much affect.

T