Wildlife Quiz - Togue

The Lake Trout (Salvelinus namaycush) also known as Togue, Laker, Grey Trout, and Mackinaw exists as a freshwater game fish inhabiting freshwater lakes throughout northern North America. A fish species native to Maine waters, a Lake Trout prefer to inhabit deep, cold, oxygen-rich waters.

A slow-growing fish species, Lake Trout populations can be heavily damaged by overfishing, as such IF&W biologists closely monitored Lake Trout populations in Maine lakes. Maine anglers normally catch Lake Trout averaging between 18 to 24 inches and weighing 2 to 4 pounds. Occasionally a fortunate angler will land a behemoth fish exceeding 15 pounds. Beech Hill Pond in Ellsworth currently stands as the birthplace of the state record Lake Trout, a 31 pounds 8 ounces monster caught by Hollis Grindle in 1958.

Lake Trout possess muted black to gray colored bodies overlaid with light spots. This dark pattern gets progressively lighter down the side of the fish, finally turning white on the fish’s belly. The back of the Lake Trout sports a darkly colored dorsal and adipose fin while the pelvic fins are orange with white edging. The Lake Trout’s tail or caudal fin is forked, easily distinguishing it from of its relative the “square tailed” brook trout.

Opportunistic feeders, Lake Trout, prey on a wide variety of species including alewives, rainbow smelt, crustaceans, insects and even small birds and mammals.

Lake Trout spawn in the fall returning each year to the same spawning area. Young Lake Trout (fry) hatch from the egg and hide in the gravel substrate until early spring when they emerge and begin searching for food. If able to successfully avoid predators, Lake Trout may live to exceed 25 years. Lake Trout can breed with Brook Trout to birth a "Splake". This can occur naturally but more commonly occurs in hatcheries where Lake Trout eggs are fertilized with brook trout sperm.

Questions

1. By what other names is the Lake Trout known?
2. Is the Lake Trout native to Maine waters?
3. What kind of environment do Lake Trout need to flourish?
4. What is the average sized Lake Trout caught by Maine anglers?
5. How big was the largest Lake Trout caught in Maine?
6. What do Lake Trout eat?
7. How old can Lake Trout live?
8. What is a “splake”?

Answers

1. The Lake Trout is also know by the names, Togue, Laker, Grey Trout, and Mackinaw.
2. Yes, the Lake Trout is native to Maine waters?
3. Lake Trout need deep, cold, oxygen-rich waters to flourish.
4. Maine anglers normally catch Lake Trout averaging between 18 to 24 inches and weighing 2 to 4 pounds.
5. The largest Lake Trout caught in Maine 31 pounds 8 ounces.
6. Lake Trout eat a wide variety of species including alewives, rainbow smelt, crustaceans, insects and even small birds and mammals.
7. Lake Trout can live to 25 years of age.
8. A “Splake” is a fish resulting in the cross breeding of a Lake Trout and a Brook Trout.