Tips to Catch Lake George Lake Trout & Other Popular Fish Species
See tips on how to catch Lake George lake trout, landlocked salmon, black bass, and yellow perch, including where to go and what to use for bait. See a quick overview below, then keep reading for more tips.
Lake Trout: find them in deep water and use live bait
Landlocked Salmon: find them near the surface and use live bait
Black Bass: find them in warm, shallow water, and use live or artificial bait
Yellow Perch: find them in deep, open water and use small bait fish
Lake Trout
Lake trout like deep, cold waters, especially during the summer. Lake George can reach as close as 200 feet deep in some spots, particularly towards the northern basin, so if you're looking to catch lake trout these deep areas are what you'll ant to look for.
Live bait, or something that resembles bait fish anywhere from 2 inches to 8 inches in length, will attract lake trout.
Lake trout need to be at least 23" long to keep on Lake George. Trophy lake trout weighing 20+ pounds can be caught on Lake Georg, and you can catch lake trout all year.
Landlocked Salmon
Known for their hard fight, once hooked, landlocked salmon can take off like a bullet! They tend to cruise near the surface of the lake searching for smelt, and so they're best caught by trolling light tackle just below the surface.
Landlocked salmon have similar bait preferences to lake trout - live bait, or something resembling live bait, that is between 2 and 8 inches long.
The minimum size for keeping landlocked salmon is 18". They can be caught year-round.
Fun fact: An ice fisherman caught a 35" landlocked salmon in February of 2016 that weighed in at over 15 pounds - the largest salmon caught on Lake George in about 30 years! Landlocked salmon can be caught all year.
Black Bass
Smallmouth and largemouth bass can be found in Lake George, with smallmouth being more common. Black bass like to hang out in warm, shallow water.
They can be caught by both live bait and artificial lures, and they should be targeted around underwater structures or plants.
Regular bass season runs from the third Saturday in June through November 30. They must be at least 12" in order to keep. 4 or 5 pound trophy bass are caught every year on Lake George.
Black bass can also be caught on Lake George from December 1 through the Friday preceding the 3rd Saturday in June. However, you have to use artificial lures, and the season is catch and release only.
Yellow Perch
Yellow perch are a popular game fish for ice fishermen. Every once in a while you'll hook one of them while trolling for salmon or trying to lure that bass out from the weeds. Perch like to stick together, so if you get into some, there will be more.
Depending on the time of year, yellow perch will commonly be found either near the shore or in open water. If you're fishing for yellow perch throughout the summer, try catching them in deep, open water!
Small bait fish and jigs are popular with fishermen seeking perch. The daily limit is 50 fish per person, and yellow perch can be caught all year.
Want more tips? Go fishing with a guide »
