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Best lake trout lakes in New York

26 New York waters hold lake trout, 20 mapped with real state-agency depth surveys. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. Deep, cold and long-lived. Below 50°F water year-round — shallow at ice-out and on fall spawning reefs.

1. Lake Erie — Eastern Basin — 205 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike
2. Lake Champlain — 392 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike
3. Cayuga Lake — 435 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie
4. Lake Ontario — Oswego and Mexico Bay — 630 ft max · Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Steelhead, Lake Trout
5. Lake Ontario — Niagara Bar and Western Shore — 584 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Yellow Perch, Chinook Salmon
6. Lake Ontario — Rochester Shore — 723 ft max · Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Steelhead, Lake Trout
7. Seneca Lake — 700 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike
8. Keuka Lake — 187 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie
9. Lake George — 187 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie
10. Skaneateles Lake — 300 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Bluegill, Yellow Perch
11. Canandaigua Lake — 250 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike
12. Owasco Lake — 177 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike
13. Indian Lake — 88 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Yellow Perch, Lake Trout
14. Tupper Lake — 85 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Yellow Perch
15. Schroon Lake — 150 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie
16. Raquette Lake — 95 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Yellow Perch, Lake Trout, Brook Trout
17. Otsego Lake — 166 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Bluegill
18. Rondout Reservoir — 170 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, Lake Trout
19. Kensico Reservoir — 160 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch
20. Hemlock Lake — 80 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch
21. Chazy Lake — 78 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Yellow Perch, Lake Trout, Brook Trout
22. Paradox Lake — 55 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Yellow Perch
23. Canadice Lake — 80 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, Lake Trout
24. Lake Gleneida — 123 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, Lake Trout
25. Lake Gilead — 113 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, Lake Trout

…plus 1 more New York waters holding lake trout.

When to fish lake trout in New York

• Spring 10–40 ft — The brief shallow window: post-ice-out lakers roam rock shoals and points where anyone can reach them.
• Summer 50–120 ft — Below the thermocline in sub-50°F water — deep humps and basin edges near bait (smelt, cisco, alewife).
• Fall 10–50 ft — Turnover puts lakers on shallow rock reefs to spawn — big fish shallow, best late in the day.
• Winter 20–80 ft — One of the best ice targets — cold water is their comfort zone; they roam basin edges and humps all winter.

Also in New York: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best walleye lakes · best northern pike lakes · best crappie lakes · best bluegill lakes · best channel catfish lakes · best rainbow trout lakes · best yellow perch lakes · best common carp lakes · best chinook salmon lakes · best steelhead lakes · best brown trout lakes · best brook trout lakes · best landlocked salmon lakes · best chain pickerel lakes · best rock bass lakes · best white perch lakes · best pumpkinseed lakes · best brown bullhead lakes

Lake Trout elsewhere: Ontario · Minnesota · Québec · Michigan · New Hampshire · Montana · Wyoming · Utah · Colorado · Alaska · Wisconsin · Maine · Vermont