How to Troll Spoons and Crankbaits for Lake Trout in Open Water

Trolling spoons and crankbaits for lake trout in open water means covering deep, cold thermoclines at controlled speeds between 1.5 and 3 mph, running lures 30 to 100 feet down with the aid of downriggers, wire line, or diving crankbaits, and adjusting speed and depth until fish start hitting. Lake trout hold in specific temperature bands, so precision in depth and pace matters more than lure selection alone.

Understanding Where Lake Trout Sit in Open Water

Lake trout are cold-water fish that stratify by temperature once summer sets in. During spring turnover they can be caught near the surface, but by early summer they retreat to the thermocline, typically holding in water between 42 and 52 degrees Fahrenheit. On a big natural lake this can mean anything from 25 feet down in early June to 80 or more feet by August. Use your electronics to find the thermocline layer and mark bait schools within it. Lake trout are ambush feeders that relate to structure even in open water, so pay attention to subtle rises, points that extend off shore, and drop-offs that intersect the thermocline. These features concentrate baitfish and give trout a reason to hold rather than roam randomly.

Water Temperature and Seasonal Movement

Early in the season, lake trout can be caught trolling shallow with light tackle right off points and reefs. As surface temperatures climb past 60 degrees, fish drop into deeper, cooler water and become far more dependent on the thermocline. This is when open-water trolling with downriggers or leadcore becomes the most efficient method, since fish are scattered horizontally but tightly banded by depth.

Gear Setup for Open-Water Trolling

A dedicated trolling rod with a soft tip and strong backbone works best because it absorbs strikes at speed without pulling hooks. Line-counter reels are essential for repeatable depth control, whether you are running lures on straight monofilament, wire, or leadcore.

Downriggers: The most precise way to hit a specific depth. Set the ball to the depth you have marked fish or bait, then run your lure 20 to 60 feet behind the release clip.
Leadcore or wire line: A good option when running multiple lines without downriggers. Count colors or feet let out to control depth, and heavier line gets deeper on shorter lengths.
Diving crankbaits: Deep-diving crankbaits reach substantial depths on their own, which simplifies rigging when you are running fewer lines or fishing from a smaller boat. A quality deep-diving crankbait can reach 25 to 35 feet on 10-pound line without any additional weight.

Choosing Between Spoons and Crankbaits

Spoons imitate a fleeing or injured baitfish with an erratic wobble and flash, and they excel at slower speeds where their flutter is most pronounced. Crankbaits, particularly deep divers with a wide wobble, push more water and create a stronger vibration signature that fish can detect from farther away in low light or stained water. Stock a mix of both from a broad crankbaits selection so you can switch presentations quickly when one style stops producing. Lipless models are worth carrying too, since their tight vibration and quick sink rate let you cover a different action profile without changing your whole spread; a few lipless vibration baits in the box add versatility on tough bites.

Trolling Speed and Cadence

Lake trout respond to a narrower speed window than most trolled species. Most days, 1.7 to 2.4 mph is the productive range, though early season fish in cold shallow water can be caught slower, around 1.2 to 1.8 mph. Speed changes the action of both spoons and crankbaits dramatically, so small adjustments of even 0.2 mph can turn a dead spread into an active bite.

Rather than locking into one speed, run a zigzag pattern across contour lines. Turns speed up the outside lines and slow down the inside lines simultaneously, which often triggers strikes from neutral fish that were tracking the lure without committing. This built-in speed variation is one of the most reliable ways to trigger reaction strikes from lake trout suspended in open water.

Reading the Bite and Adjusting

If you mark fish on sonar but get no strikes, the lure is likely running above or below the strike zone, or the speed is mismatched to the water temperature. Lake trout in cold, stable water often want a slower, more deliberate wobble, while warmer surface layers call for a faster, tighter action. Change one variable at a time, speed first, then depth, then lure size or color, so you can identify what actually triggered the change in results.

Common Mistakes

Running lures at a single, fixed depth all day. Lake trout move up and down the thermocline with light levels and baitfish activity. Stagger your lines at several depths until you find the active band, then concentrate your spread around it.
Trolling too fast for the water temperature. Anglers used to trolling for walleye or salmon often run too quickly for lake trout, especially in cold, deep water where a slower, more natural presentation outproduces a fast retrieve.
Ignoring bottom structure in open water. Even far from shore, subtle humps and saddles between basins hold trout. Watch your chart plotter closely and troll paths that cross these features rather than running straight lines across featureless basin.
Using line too heavy for the lure. Oversized line reduces the running depth of crankbaits and dampens the action of light spoons. Match line diameter to the lure and target depth rather than defaulting to heavy line out of habit.
Not diversifying the spread. Running six identical lures rarely outperforms three different colors, sizes, and actions spread across multiple depths. Build a spread from a well-stocked all-tackle selection so you can experiment without running back to shore.

Refining Your Spread Through the Day

Once you get a strike, note the exact depth, speed, and lure that produced it, then adjust the rest of your spread to match. Lake trout often school loosely by size and depth, so a single bite is a strong signal to concentrate effort in that zone rather than spread thinner. Keep a rotating stock of proven colors on hand, and check seasonal on-sale lures when restocking, since building depth and color variety across your box matters more than owning a handful of premium pieces.

For more species-specific trolling and casting techniques, browse our full library of all fishing guides.

Common questions

What is the best depth to troll for lake trout in summer?

Once the thermocline sets up, most lake trout hold between 40 and 80 feet depending on the lake and time of year. Use your sonar to locate the actual temperature break rather than fishing a fixed depth, since the thermocline shifts throughout the season and even during a single day as surface waters warm.

How fast should I troll spoons versus crankbaits for lake trout?

Spoons generally produce best between 1.5 and 2.2 mph, where their flutter and flash stay pronounced without spinning out. Crankbaits tolerate a slightly wider range, often 1.8 to 2.6 mph, because their bill controls the action more consistently at higher speeds.

Do I need a downrigger to troll for lake trout effectively?

A downrigger gives the most precise depth control and is standard equipment for serious lake trout trolling, but it is not strictly required. Leadcore line, wire line, or a properly weighted deep-diving crankbait can reach comparable depths, though with less exact repeatability than a downrigger ball set to a specific number.