Live Baits
Lake trout can be caught on live bait and dead bait. Some anglers report very good success with minnows. Larger minnows work better. Chubs, suckers and bigger shiners will get the job done.
Dead Baits
The dead baits are popular when still fishing through the ice. Most anglers use frozen herring or ciscoes and they use the entire bait while bottom fishing. Lake trout will just pick it up and eat it. Anglers will also use frozen bait or dead bait to jig for lake trout in the open water season. At times, it can be tough to get bait and some of the popular lake trout destinations are fairly remote so you may not be able to get your preferred live bait. This is when the frozen bait comes in handy.