Species › North America · Freshwater › Lake Whitefish

Freshwater

Lake Whitefish

Coregonus clupeaformis · Whitefish, Humpback whitefish, Common whitefish

Water temp
43–54°F
Peak season
Nov–Feb
Best light
Daytime
IGFA record
14 lb 6 oz (6.52 kg)
Lake Whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis.jpg)

Photo: Seb951 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons

OverviewWhere & WhenHow to CatchGearRegulationsRecordsForecastCatches

Overview

Lake whitefish are silvery with a greenish-bronze back, large scales, a small head with a blunt, overhanging snout and a tiny, toothless mouth that points downward. Older fish develop a distinct hump behind the head. Most run 1–4 lb and 17–22 inches; fish over 8 lb come from the Great Lakes and large Canadian waters. They are native across Canada and Alaska and the northern US from Maine through the Great Lakes to Minnesota, with introduced populations in Montana and Idaho reservoirs.

Whitefish feed on insect larvae, snails, fingernail clams, fish eggs and small fish, rooting along sand and gravel bottoms in 20–100 feet of water and moving shallow to spawn on rocky reefs in November. They school by the hundreds, and once located they bite steadily on small jigs and spoons, but the soft mouth and subtle take demand finesse. Great Lakes anglers have embraced them in the last two decades, especially through the ice on Lake Simcoe, Green Bay and the Michigan bays, and the mild, flaky flesh is the stuff of Friday fish fries and smoked-fish shacks.

Typical size1–4 lb (0.5–1.8 kg); 17–22 in
Trophy6 lb+; 10 lb+ is exceptional
Table fareExcellent — mild, white, flaky and oily enough to smoke beautifully

Where & when

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Ice fishing from December through March is the prime season across the Great Lakes region and Canada; open-water bites come in late fall as fish move onto spawning reefs and in spring before they drop deep as water passes 55 °F (13 °C).

Lake Simcoe, CanadaThe most popular whitefish ice fishery in North America, north of TorontoGreen Bay, WIFox River mouth and the bay; ice and open-water jiggingLittle Bay de Noc, MIHard-water whitefish alongside walleyeFlathead Lake, MTAbundant introduced whitefish; winter and spring jigging

How to catch

Ice jigging with small spoonsOver 30–70 feet of sand or gravel, drop a 1/4–1/2 oz jigging spoon or a Swedish Pimple tipped with a wax worm, spawn sac or a minnow head, pound it on the bottom to raise a puff of silt, then lift it a foot and hold still. Whitefish inhale the bait gently, so watch the rod tip and the flasher.
Dropper rigTie a small fly, bead or plain hook 6–12 inches above or below a heavier spoon so the spoon draws fish in and the subtle offering gets the bite. Finicky whitefish often take the dropper while ignoring the spoon.
Open-water bottom bouncingIn spring and fall, drift or slow-troll over 20–50 feet with a 1/4–3/8 oz jig tipped with a minnow or a small blade bait, keeping it within a foot of the bottom. Fall reef fish take spawn sacs and single eggs on a slip-sinker rig.

Gear

Rod30"–36" medium-light ice rod with a soft tip; 7' light spinning for open water
Reel1000–2000 spinning or an inline ice reel
Line6–8 lb fluorocarbon or 8 lb braid with a 6 lb fluorocarbon leader

Lures

Small jigging spoonsSwedish Pimple-style spoonsTungsten jigsBlade baitsDropper flies and beads

Baits

Wax wormsSpawn sacs or single salmon eggsMinnow headsMaggots (spikes)

Regulations

A freshwater fishing license is required. Whitefish bag limits are usually generous but vary by state and lake, some Great Lakes waters close in November to protect spawning reefs, and limits on the number of lines through the ice apply.

Records

IGFA all-tackle world record: 14 lb 6 oz (6.52 kg) — Meaford, Ontario, Canada, 1984 (Dennis M. Laycock). State and regional records are kept by each fish & wildlife agency.

Frequently asked

What is the best bait for lake whitefish?

Wax worms or a couple of spikes on a small spoon or tungsten jig are hard to beat through the ice, and a minnow head on a spoon works when fish want more scent. In the fall spawn, salmon or whitefish eggs in a small spawn sac outfish everything. Keep baits small; the mouth is tiny.

Are whitefish hard to hook?

Yes, because they have soft mouths and take bait with a light suck rather than a strike, so many bites register as a slight lift or slack in the line. Use a sensitive rod with a soft tip, watch the flasher for a fish rising to the lure, and set with a smooth lift rather than a hard snap to avoid tearing the hook out.

Bite forecast — Lake Whitefish

Recent catches

Posted by anglers on the live map, filtered to Lake Whitefish.

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