About the only Lake Trout I've eaten have been stocked fish in Lake Michigan which have fed primarily on the invasive alewives. Needless to say, they're not known as the best tasting fish that swim in these waters, although when smoked, they aren't too bad.

I'd be curious to know how you folks rate the table fare of canoe country Lake Trout, and how it compares to walleye, which most of us treasure so much. I'd also like to hear some opinions on the best way to prepare them while camping in the Northwoods.

I'm taking a nine or ten day solo canoe trip in the latter half of May with specific plans to target Lake Trout for the first time since I was a kid, and I'd like to eat a couple of them.

Many many years ago we would catch smaller lake trout and clean them leaving the heads attached. The now empty belly would be filled with butter and a handy piece of string was used to truss up the fish and attached to a handy stick that would then be hung over the fire. The butter would melt out of the fire slowly and the result was, well happyness is a pile of clean fish bones afterwards

Personally, I'd take walleye over lake trout, but do enjoy lake trout now and then. Kind of an apples to oranges thing. I think you will find the meat much less oily than fish from Lake Michigan.

Best way to eat canoe country Lake Trout IMO is to cut them into steaks or fillets, poach them in a little water, and dip the pieces into melted butter as you eat them. When I'm out there, I want simple methods. Don't need fancy techniques when your fish is so fresh.

Personally I'm a fan of lake trout, but can take or leave walleye. Like Marsonite points out its a matter of taste, and my tastes usually go for the meatier or oiler fish. I'll usually go for salmon, mackerel, or sardines before cod, sea bass, or grouper too. I've usually made mine into a paella with the oil from the fish blending in well with the oil from sausage and olives. Next time I catch one, I'm eager to try kiting it and slow cooking by some coals. And the omega-3s in lakers make my heart and joints happy - about 6-7 times more than walleye and about 20 times more than northerns.

lake trout out of the deep cold lakes in the BW are excellent. much tastier than there superior brothers/sisters IMO. alot of different ways to prepare also. on my last BW trip, boiled LT & rice drizzled with bernaise sauce. it was a huge hit.

My favorite way is to cut off the head and tail, slice the gut cavity down to the anus, pull out the innards, and wash. Put some salt and pepper in the intestine cavity (or whatever you have) and wrap it up in foil. Cook about 8 minutes per side over medium heat. To eat it, peel the skin of the top side and eat the top fillet. The whole skeleton will pull out, then eat the bottom.

Contrary to popular belief, trout fries good too. I shake bite size chunks in dry Cajun shore lunch.

3 recipes I like

1)paint foil liberally with butter flavored Crisco. Place whole gutted or sectioned large pieces in foil. Fill gut cavity with dry stove top stuffing mix and desired seasoning. Double rap fish as you always get punctures. Cook over coals 30-40 minutes flipping every 10. When done everyone gets their own foil and all you have for dishes are forks.

2)Place fillets in foil and add 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup Dijon mustard and desired spices. Double wrap in foil and bake 30 min(15 each side) over coals.

3)Gut fish and place whole right on top of the fire grate. When the eyes turn completely white they are done. (Kids either love this one or hate it!)

Beware of over cooking trout as it tends to dry it out some.

I guess I should note that #3 is with 1-2 lb fish so they are not too thick.

In the past I typically filleted trout and grilled it in its skin over an open flame. To be honest I found it too rich and meaty and neither my wife nor I cared for it much. Trouble was I loved fishing for trout and we had to eat. Last summer we tried something new. We dehydrated plenty of orange and lemon slices. We placed the fillets in tin foil, brushed on some ghee (clarified butter), maple syrup, tarragon, salt, pepper and a few of the citrus slices. We placed one fillet on top of the other so that the skin side faced out. Then we wrapped the tin foil and placed it on the grill. Depending on the thickness, about 10 minutes a side on a hot fire. Viola! Poached trout - soft, tender and delicious. As good as any high end restaurant could ever serve. I've come to absolutely love trout. This is a great way to prepare it.

I love lake trout. It is a big reason why I go the BW.

My favorite recipe is "fish on the half shell". Place the fillets skin-side-down on the grate, sprinkle on a good bit of Tony Chachere's, cover with foil or pan lid. The fish gets a nice hint of smoke this way.

I probably stole the name and recipe from someone else on bwca.com

I'm not an expert on lake trout but from what I understand the taste will vary between lakers feeding on ciscoes/tullibees versus those that feed on scuds. The former will be white-fleshed versus red-fleshed. Fraser for example is rumored to hold the red-fleshed which may be tastier and less oily. I've only fished and eaten the red-fleshed versions so perhaps it's not a complete comparison however I liken the difference to comparing atlantic salmon to coho salmon. Those who've sampled may be able to provide more accurate information on these.

I like to grill them, marinate them as you are grilling in a garlic, soy sauce, olive oil, maple syrup mix that was cooked down slightly. Grill flesh down first about 3-5 minutes. Depends on heat, then skin down and baste the marinate over them.

I like to finish is hit by turning it over blackening the marinade on top, then add a little more marinade to serve.

Another method is to fillet it like a walleye or leave the skin on and then cook it blackened in either olive oil or butter. Use any blackening seasoning or salmon seasoning. I like emerils fish seasoning.

T

Lake trout tend to break down fast, so I like to catch and eat them right away. After they die it doesn't take long for them to get fishy.

Cut fillets into 1" chunks and boil with some onion...then dip in melted butter and enjoy

Also great wrapped in bacon and fried in butter/ghee

The red meat Lakers are also good sliced thinly (1/8") seasoned with salt and pepper and squeeze a lemon over them and let them sit for 10-15 mins. No need to cook..makes a good appetizer before dinner.

Only ate laker once. Had no clue how to cook it; we had butter,salt,pepper and foil left. It was good and I'm not crazy about small trout and salmon as much as white flaky fish.

My grandmother used to alternate layers of small pan trout (lightly mealed) with layers of bacon in a deep iron skillet.
I recall really liking it .

In the name of love she came
This foolish winsome girl
She was all decked out like a rainbow trout
Swimmin' up stream in the world
-Gordon Lightfoot

Had to go with some non-baking recipes this last spring due to the fire ban in the Q. The bacon wrapped LT was awesome! No butter, the fat run off from the bacon was all that was needed. A close second was Bear Creek wild rice soup with LT. Added dehydrated carrots and celery along with much more wild rice. Sprinkled with Old Bay to taste.

quote overthehill: "Only ate laker once. Had no clue how to cook it; we had butter,salt,pepper and foil left. It was good and I'm not crazy about small trout and salmon as much as white flaky fish.


My grandmother used to alternate layers of small pan trout (lightly mealed) with layers of bacon in a deep iron skillet.
I recall really liking it ."

my wife isnt crazy about lake trout either, BUT she has never ate it at at campsite in the south arm minutes after being caught. my trips are usually close to ice out and the lake trout is spectacular !

quote shock: "lake trout out of the deep cold lakes in the BW are excellent. much tastier than there superior brothers/sisters IMO. alot of different ways to prepare also. on my last BW trip, boiled LT & rice drizzled with bernaise sauce. it was a huge hit."

not lake trout but boneless pike at home, rice for a side dish with the extra bernaise. knorrs bernaise mix and all you need is milk. instant milk will work too.

I will never forget catching lake trout in one of the Great lakes as a kid with my Dad. We were guests of one of my Dads friends and the guys boat had all the toys (down riggers etc>)

We caught several lakers and the owner of the boats wife fried up chunks of lake trout. I was quite literally ravenous. I will never forget how good those chunks of Lake Trout looked........all golden brown! I will also never forget just how terrible tasting the stuff was. I had grown up on panfish and walleye and these lake trout were just horrible tasting things. I could barely get a few pieces down.

The rest of my life I kept hearing about how wonderful Lake Trout were. Blah I thought......who could eat those things. I had a hard time reconciling what I had heard with what I had experienced.

Enter in canoe country........indeed they are a wonderful tasting fish and always welcome at dinnertime. I like wrapping them in foil, squeeze parkay (although this year I am intending on using clarified butter) and some spice and cook over an open fire.

I have heard of some recipes where you stuff the laker with stove top stuffing and bake whole in foil and that sounds good to. Never tried fried lake trout from canoe country but it would probably be just fine as well.