Colorado Fish Species: Lake Trout

The largest of the char family, lake trout, also referred to as Mackinaw, can reach enormous proportions, in the range of 50 inches and 100 pounds.  Lake trout are mostly gray above, with a white belly and creamy mottling on the back, turning in to spots along the sides. Their tail is distinctly forked.
 
Mackinaw, are deep, cold-water fish. During the spring and fall, when the water is still in the 50’s, lakers may be shallow. Lake trout are roamers, moving widely and may go several hundred feet deep. They prefer 50 degrees waters.  Mature lake trout feed primarily on fish.  Younger fish will feed on plankton, crustaceans, and insects.
 
These fall spawners use the same spawning beds.  They deposit their eggs after dark, often on shoals. While they may clean their spawning area, they do not build nest like most salmoniods. Sexual maturity occurs at 6-7 years of age, for this long lived fish, whose life span can exceed 25 years.