Description
Lake Trout (Salvelinus namaycush) are found throughout Alaska, from high elevations in the Brooks Range, and the low lying Arctic costal plains of the north, central areas like the Tanana and Copper River drainages, and south along the Kenai Peninsula and Bristol Bay. Lake Trout usually live around 25 years and have been recorded living past 50 years. Lake Trout to the north age slower and live longer than their relatives to the south.
Sport fishing in Alaska accounts for numbers around 20,000 Lake Trout being harvested.
Diet & Habitat
Lake Trout feed on insects, mollusks, crustaceans, fish, and rodents.
Breeding
Just like aging there is a large variation with breeding cycles among the Lake Trout of Alaska. In small shallow lakes breed may be as brief as a week, where as in large lakes breeding may continue for more than 1 month.
Lake trout prefer cobble, gravel, boulders, and rubble, for spawning. Areas with small crevasses for eggs to lie are preferred, however they may sometimes live in lakes consisting only of silt and mud. Eggs are deposited over an area and then fertilized. There has been no record of Lake Trout spawning in rivers in Alaska.
Harvesting
Lake Trout are open for sport fishing in spring and fall. Fishing for Lake Trout is usually closed between July and August. They are also a popular fish for ice fishing in winter months.
Lake Trout were introduced to Harding Lake near Fairbanks in 1939 starting with a dozen or so trout. In 1963 252 Lake Trout were introduced from Two Bit and Boulder Lakes, in the Alaska Range. In 1965 an additional 235 Lake Trout were added from Monte Lake from the Upper Tanana.
