Landlocked salmon are a prized game fish for anglers across the Northeast and Midwest Though smaller than their anadromous relatives, they put up an impressive fight on light tackle and make for delicious table fare With proper timing and technique, hooking into one of these silver bullets can make for a thrilling day on the water. This complete guide will teach you everything you need to know to catch your own landlocked salmon.
What are Landlocked Salmon?
Landlocked salmon are a form of salmon that spend their entire life cycle in freshwater lakes and rivers. Unlike Pacific salmon, landlocked salmon do not migrate to the ocean. There are two main species:
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Landlocked Atlantic Salmon A subspecies of the anadromous Atlantic salmon found mostly in New England and Canada They average 3-5 pounds
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Kokanee Salmon: The landlocked form of sockeye salmon introduced widely across the U.S. Rarely exceed 20 inches.
Though smaller than their sea-run relatives, landlocked salmon are prized by anglers for their fighting ability and delicious meat. They thrive in cold, oxygenated lakes and spawn in feeder streams each autumn.
When to Fish for Landlocked Salmon
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Spring Aggressive feeding makes spring a prime time to catch landlocked salmon as they follow smelt and other baitfish upriver
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Summer: Troll deep, offshore waters for scattered salmon. Focus efforts at dawn, dusk, and night.
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Fall: Use streamers and egg flies when salmon enter rivers to spawn. Fish daily are aggressive but deteriorate after spawning.
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Winter: Difficult but possible to catch lethargic salmon in rivers and lakes on very slow-moving presentations.
Where to Find Landlocked Salmon
Look for landlocked salmon in cold, clear lakes and rivers across the Northeast, Upper Midwest, and portions of the Western U.S. Popular fisheries include:
- Maine
- New York
- Vermont
- New Hampshire
- Idaho
- Washington
- Oregon
- Montana
Check state fishing regulations for specific water bodies containing landlocked salmon. Focus efforts on lakes with populations of smelt and other baitfish salmon feed on.
Fishing Tips and Techniques
Fly Fishing
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Swing streamers, egg flies, and attractor nymphs across current seams in rivers.
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Cast large streamers, leeches, and baitfish patterns around shoals and drop-offs in lakes.
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Use sinking lines and long leaders when fishing deep waters.
Casting and Drifting
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Drift live bait like smelt, shiners, or nightcrawlers under a float through rivers and lakes.
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Cast inline spinners, spoons, crankbaits, and jerkbaits around structure.
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Use light jigs tipped with bait for a more vertical presentation.
Trolling
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Troll spoons, plugs, flies, and live bait slowly in lakes to cover water and find fish.
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Target areas of baitfish activity marked on fish finder.
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Use downriggers and divers to reach desired depths.
Fly Fishing Tackle
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5-7wt fly rod
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Floating line for shallow water, sink tip or full sinking for deep
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9-12ft tapered leaders in 10-15lb fluorocarbon
Spinning/Casting Tackle
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6-7ft medium power spinning or baitcasting rod
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Braided mainline with fluorocarbon leader material
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Lures sized 1/4oz-3/4oz to match conditions
No matter your technique, be sure to use thin diameter lines and natural colored tackle. Landlocked salmon have excellent vision and will be wary of heavy gear. Take advantage of low light periods and cloud cover when possible.
How to Cook Landlocked Salmon
While smaller than their anadromous counterparts, landlocked salmon offer sweet, oily flesh when cooked properly. They work well with most trout and salmon recipes:
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Baked Salmon – Stuff with herbs and lemon, drizzle with butter or oil
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Grilled Salmon – Quick grill or plank over hot coals
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Smoked Salmon – Brine and then hot or cold smoke fillets
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Salmon Soup/Chowder – Poach and use in chowders and soups
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Cured Salmon – Dry cure into lox with salt, sugar, and spices
Take care not to overcook landlocked salmon. The fatty flesh can go from tender and flaky to dry quite quickly. Cook to an internal temp of 125-135°F for the best results.
While not as storied as Atlantic or Pacific salmon, landlocked salmon provide an excellent fishery close to home for many anglers. With knowledge of their habits and preferences for cold, clean water, catching these scrappy fighters is an achievable goal. Follow the tips in this guide to plan a successful landlocked salmon fishing trip this season.
Live bait is good for landlocks
Using whatever baitfish is preferred by landlocked salmon in the lake you’re fishing is always desirable. In many landlocked salmon waters that’s smelt, but they are hard to keep alive. Hardier shiners may be better, especially if they’re similar in size to what the salmon normally eat.
Think deep and deeper
Most of the time you’ll want to be ice fishing for salmon at least 15 feet below the surface (and perhaps down to 80 feet). Where you can use multiple rigs or tipups, set up to cover a broad expanse where the depth of the bottom is sloping downward.
Using sonar to locate salmon or baitfish is a big help in knowing what depth to fish. Look for dropoffs and places that could funnel bait.
If using tipups with bait for landlocked salmon, place the bait at different depths until you have success. Then adjust the other rigs up or down so they are at the same level of the tipup that produced.
The Proper Way to Fish Points for Landlocked Salmon
FAQ
What is the best bait for landlocked salmon?
… stickbaits (such as Rapala, Rebel, Yo-Zuri), spoons (Mooselook, Flash King, Sutton, Top Gun, DB Smelt) and various flash lures (Super Duper, Harry Lure, …
How do you catch landlocked salmon?
You can swing it in the current as well as retrieving across likely areas. The best places to find landlocked salmon are in long, slow runs where the river current is traveling about the same speed as a fast walk. The tails of slow pools just upstream of faster moving water are also great spots to toss a line.
What is the best time of day to fish for landlocked salmon?
The best time of the day to fish for salmon is between dawn and mid day, but after that would be an hour before dusk to an hour after.
What rod is best for landlocked salmon?
While any rod rated from 3-12kg with a cast weight between 30-50g can handle landing salmon, strong and flexible spinning rods between 9-13ft are preferable as they can cast longer distances.