Scientific Name
Coregonus clupeaformis
Lake Whitefish
Image Credit
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Length
30-65 centimetres (12-26 inches)
Weight
0.9-1.8 kilograms (2-4 pounds)
Location
  • the Great Lakes
  • deep, cold inland lakes throughout Ontario
Description
  • slightly deep-bodied fish, oval in cross-section
  • greenish-brown back
  • silvery sides
  • silvery-white belly
  • snout overhangs mouth
  • 2 flaps of skin between the nostrils
  • deeply forked tail
Habitat
  • prefer the deep sections of deep lakes and shallow sections of Far North lakes
  • move into rivers and streams to feed in the early spring--often found in deeper pools behind spawning beds
  • find deeper waters during the summer
  • move to shoals of large lakes and rivers during the late fall and early winter
Angling Tips
  • easiest to catch in winter and spring
  • they feed only during the day in late fall and early winter
  • catch with a fly on the surface when mayflies are plentiful
Common Bait
  • teardrop jigs baited with wax worms
  • small minnows (live or salted)
  • small jigging lures