What happens to trout during the ice season?
They divide by species. Lake trout treat winter as home turf: with the whole lake at 2–4 °C (36–39 °F) they abandon the deep band entirely and hunt baitfish over 5–20 m (16–66 ft) structure, often shockingly shallow under first ice — the basis of the northern winter fishery. Stocked rainbows and brook trout in lakes cruise shallow, 1–5 m (3–16 ft), circling under the ice looking for invertebrates and minnows. In streams, resident trout pod up in the deepest, slowest pools and feed in brief midday windows on midges and small nymphs, conserving energy in water that asks almost nothing of them metabolically. Nothing is hibernating; everything is just running slower — except the laker, which is running at full speed.
The full story
This answer is one piece of a longer lesson — setups, diagrams and the reasoning behind it.
Same topic, other species
- Why are crappie such a prized ice-fishing target, and when is the ice bite best? — Crappie
- Do largemouth feed in winter or under ice? — Largemouth Bass
- Where do muskie spend the winter under the ice? — Muskellunge (Muskie)
- What is the best time of day through the ice — and why not dusk? — Yellow Perch
- What is the winter pattern for pike under the ice? — Northern Pike
- Do smallmouth feed all winter? — Smallmouth Bass
- How do walleye behave under the ice? — Walleye