2026 regulation year
Lake trout Fishing Regulations by State (2026)
Salvelinus namaycush
Last updated
Lake trout is regulated separately by each state. This page compares the open-season window, daily bag limit, and size or slot rule for lake trout across the 16 states fishregs covers deeply for 2026 — 5 set a defined harvest season and 11 keep it open year-round. Rules vary by state and often by individual water body, so confirm on the linked state page before fishing. New to bag, slot, and size limits? The glossary explains every term.
Lake trout regulations comparison by state
| State | Open season | Daily bag | Size / slot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | Open year-round | Area-specific. Most lakes: 2 / day. Heavily-fished + slow-growing flagship lakes: 1 / day (Lake Louise, Tangle Lakes). | No size limit on most waters |
| Colorado | Open year-round | 8 / day no minimum on most Mysis-driven lake-trout reservoirs (Granby + Dillon + Twin Lakes); 4 / day with only 1 fish over 28 in / day on Blue Mesa (TROPHY MANAGEMENT slot) | No statewide minimum; Blue Mesa slot: only 1 fish over 28 in / day TROPHY MANAGEMENTSlot: Blue Mesa Reservoir 4 / day with only 1 fish over 28 in / day — release all fish over 28 in except the 1 trophy-allotment; CPW-distinctive slot-based protection on country's premier inland trophy lake trout fishery |
| Idaho | Open year-round | No daily limit on Lake Pend Oreille + Priest Lake (IDFG Mackinaw-suppression — harvest encouraged); check listed waters for any limit | No statewide minimum |
| Maine | – · Statewide togue waters — open harvest season – · Listed January – March ice-fishing togue waters | 2 / day standard; 1 / day Sebago Lake + listed trophy waters | 18 in min standard; 23 in min Sebago + listed TROPHY MANAGEMENT waters |
| Massachusetts | – · Quabbin Reservoir (boat season) – · Wachusett Reservoir | Water-specific: Quabbin 2 / day; Wachusett 3 / day | Quabbin 18 in minimum; Wachusett NO minimum size |
| Michigan | Open year-round | 2 – 3 / day (zone-dependent) | 15 – 24 in minimum (zone-dependent) |
| Minnesota | – · Inland lakes (summer) – · Inland lakes (winter, outside BWCAW) | 2 / day (inland); 3 / day (Lake Superior) | No statewide minimum; lake-specific minimums on some inland lakes (e.g. Caribou Lake 20 in, possession 1) |
| Montana | Open year-round | District-based — Western Fishing District 20 / day (40 in possession); Central + Eastern 3 / day (Eastern 6 in possession). Flathead Lake 100 / day with only 1 over 36 in (all 30-36 in released — FWP/CSKT suppression). Fort Peck Reservoir 3 / day (Eastern). Yellowtail Reservoir 3 / day. | Flathead Lake: release all 30-36 in, only 1 over 36 in; no minimum elsewhereSlot: Flathead Lake protected slot 30-36 in (mandatory release) + only 1 fish over 36 in / day — structured to maximize removal of small + mid-size lake trout while limiting trophy harvest under the FWP/CSKT suppression program |
| Nevada | Open year-round | Lake Tahoe 5 trout in possession (daily creel), not more than 2 of which may be Mackinaw (lake trout) — under the CA/NV joint compact | No minimum on Mackinaw at Lake Tahoe |
| New Hampshire | – · Statewide lake trout waters – · Listed ice-fishing lake trout waters | 2 / day per angler standard; 1 / day Lake Sunapee + Newfound Lake trophy management | 18 in min Winnipesaukee + Big Squam + Winnisquam + Ossipee + 1st Connecticut; 24 in min Sunapee + Newfound TROPHY MANAGEMENT |
| New Jersey | Open year-round | 2 / day combined trout including lake trout (Round Valley + Merrill Creek) | 15 in min lake trout; only NJ waters with self-sustaining lake trout |
| New Mexico | Open year-round | 2 / day | No minimum |
| Oregon | Open year-round | 1 / day with a 24 in minimum length on Odell + Crescent Lakes (Oregon's principal mackinaw waters) | 24 in minimum on Odell + Crescent Lakes |
| Utah | Open year-round | No limit on lake trout 28 in and smaller at Flaming Gorge (reclassified nongame Jan 2025 — suppress overpopulation, protect kokanee) with only 1 over 28 in in possession (joint UT/WY compact); 4 / day Fish Lake with mandatory harvest of fish under 22 in (UDWR small-Mackinaw suppression — promotes 28+ in trophy fishery); 4 / day Strawberry + Bear Lake no min | Flaming Gorge: no limit on lake trout 28 in and smaller, only 1 over 28 in in possession; Fish Lake mandatory harvest under 22 in (suppression rule); no statewide minimum elsewhereSlot: Flaming Gorge Reservoir — no creel/possession limit on lake trout 28 in and smaller (reclassified nongame Jan 1 2025 UT / Oct 1 2024 WY to suppress the overpopulated small lake trout, protecting kokanee); only 1 lake trout over 28 in in possession — release additional fish over 28 in; Fish Lake 4 / day mandatory harvest of fish under 22 in (UDWR small-Mackinaw suppression — must kill smaller fish to promote 28+ in trophy fishery) |
| Vermont | – · Statewide lake trout waters — open harvest season – · January 1 – March 15 winter / ice-fishing lake trout waters | Lake Champlain 3 / day (separate Table 2 limit); all other waters a combined 2 / day aggregate shared with landlocked salmon (and with brook/brown/rainbow trout on Memphremagog / Willoughby / Seymour / Caspian) | 15 in min Lake Champlain; 18 in min general waters + Seymour + Caspian; 24 in min Lake Memphremagog + Lake Willoughby |
| Wyoming | Open year-round | 6 / day combined trout on most waters; NO daily bag limit on Yellowstone Lake + Lewis Lake (NPS suppression — mandatory harvest); no limit on lake trout 28 in and smaller at Flaming Gorge (nongame reclassification Oct 2024 — suppress overpopulation, protect kokanee) with only 1 over 28 in in possession; 6 / day Jackson Lake | No statewide minimum; Flaming Gorge: no limit on lake trout 28 in and smaller, only 1 over 28 in in possessionSlot: Flaming Gorge Reservoir — no creel/possession limit on lake trout 28 in and smaller (reclassified nongame Oct 1 2024 WY / Jan 1 2025 UT to suppress the ~143,000 overpopulated small lake trout, protecting kokanee); only 1 lake trout over 28 in in possession — release additional fish over 28 in |
Figures are statewide defaults for 2026. Specific lakes, rivers, and coastal zones can carry their own lake trout rules — open any state row for the full season map, gear restrictions, and named water-body overrides.
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Frequently asked questions
- Is there a nationwide lake trout season or bag limit?
- No. Each US state sets its own lake trout rules. Across the 16 states covered here, 11 keep harvest open year-round while 5 define a closed season, and daily bag and size limits differ from state to state. Use the table above to compare, then open a state page for the exact current rule.
- Does my fishing license cover lake trout in every state?
- No. A fishing license is valid only in the state that issued it, apart from a few border-water reciprocity agreements. To fish lake trout in another state you generally need that state's non-resident license — compare non-resident fees on the license-fees page and check the reciprocity page for shared-water exceptions.
- Why do lake trout rules vary so much between states?
- Lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) is a freshwater species, and each state manages it for its own water temperatures, spawning timing, population health, and fishing pressure. Many states also set tougher rules on specific lakes or rivers, so the statewide figure shown here can be overridden on a named water body — always confirm on the linked state page before fishing.
- Why does one state show more than one lake trout season?
- Several states split lake trout into management zones — different coasts, river drainages, or regions open and close on different dates. Where that happens the table shows each zone's window; the state page lists the full zone map.