Norwegian record Lake trout: 11.5 kg

About Lake trout

The lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) is a large charr native to North America. It is dark grey-green to grey-brown, densely covered in pale, irregular spots over the back and sides, and its tail is clearly forked. In Norway it is an alien species. Fry from a Swedish hatchery were released in Lierne in 1971–72, and it now lives in several lakes in Trøndelag. It was also stocked in Lutvann near Oslo in 1985, where it appears to reproduce. Lake trout spend their whole lives in lakes and prefer cold, deep water. Young fish eat zooplankton and bottom animals, while adults become fish-eaters. Spawning takes place in autumn over stones and gravel in the lake. In North America the average weight is around 3 kg, but fish over 20 kg are known. Anglers catch them by deep trolling and ice fishing. The Norwegian Alien Species List 2023 rates it as high risk (HI).

Sources: Artsdatabanken, Store norske leksikon, Animal Diversity Web

• Habitat: Ferskvann
• Best month: Juni

See the species guide

Biggest Lake trout in FishComp

Caught a Lake trout? Log it in FishComp.

How to register a Norwegian record

1. Norwegian sport-fishing records are registered with Villmarksliv, not with FishComp. Read the rules before you do anything else with the fish.
2. Records are based on weight and approved by a jury. You give the weight and length, where it was caught, the gear you used and any witnesses.
3. Keep your photos and notes from the catch. Logging it in FishComp does not register a record.