Lake Ontario Brown Trout Forecast

Lake Ontario Brown Trout Forecast

Now that life is starting to get back to normal, I hope the fishing on Lake Ontario will follow suit. As I write this, we are currently in our summer transition. The lake is starting to warm up and the fish are starting to slide out to find the water that they prefer.  With the events of the spring of 2020,  the fishing pressure on Lake Ontario was very minimal. This creates an exciting summer.

I am anticipating larger than normal brown trout and great salmon numbers! With back to back years of incredible salmon fishing, a lack of pressure this spring and lots of food available, the summer brown trout fishing on the eastern end of Lake Ontario should be one for the record books. If you’re looking to get that wall hanger brown trout, 2020 should be your year!

Once the lake has settled into its summer time condition, has a set up thermocline and the fish have settled into their summer homes, it’s time to start hunting the football browns. Start your search where 58- to 63-degree water meets the bottom. Work around drop offs, humps and shoals. Some of the best fishing can be found right along there.

The best technique to target them is to keep your lures tracking bottom. Downriggers are a must. Divers are an invaluable tool. Just be careful to keep them from getting hung up on bottom! Lastly, don’t be afraid to run some longlines, leadcores or copper.

I like to keep my lures 5 to 15 feet off the bottom. Downriggers obviously make this the easiest, but once you have the right leads dialed in on your divers, get ready! When it comes around in long lines, I like to have one track close to bottom and I leave the other one about 10 to 15 feet above the strike zone. This road will frequently take our biggest fish of the day.

Spoon choices can range from naturals to bright colors. Typically use natural and dark colors early with the brighter choices under summer's bright skies! Both Stingray and standard sizes work. I like to run larger spoons  on the base and a matching smaller spoon on a cheater 5 to 7 feet above. Some of my favorite brown trout spoon colors include Diehard, NBK, golden shiner, seasick waddler, neon gator in low light; circus freak frog, mongoose, frog and pickleseed in the sun. Cheaters run above your base lures can be the difference between a great day and a zero some days. Other days you can leave them at home.

Summer browns can be very picky and test your patience, but when you put it all together and capture a few of these beautiful creatures all the work and planning is worth it. Football shaped browns as they start to color up in the warmer water of summer are one of the prettiest fish that swim in Lake Ontario. When that rod goes off you don’t know if it’s going to be a 3-pounder or 20-pounder!

So always make sure your leaders are fresh, your line is good, and you’re ready to land a trophy brown of your lifetime because summer of 2020 is going to give you the opportunity!

Good luck on the water and keep up the chase!

Capt. Andy
Chasin' Tail Adventures