Lake Trout
Lake trout are not only being Alaska's largest freshwater fish, but they also belong to the largest family of fish, known as char. Two close relatives of lake trout, which can also inhabit the same waters, are Dolly Varden and Arctic char.
Lake trout have a body shape similar to that of trout and salmon. They generally have small cream or yellow, irregular shaped spots on a silvery-to-dark background. Males and females are similar, with males having a slightly longer, more pointed snout. Lake trout can be distinguished from other chars by the absence of pink spots and their deeply forked tail. A breeding male has dark stripes on its side, and lacks the red or orange exhibited by Dolly Varden and Arctic char. There is usually a white leading edge on the pectoral, pelvic, and anal fin. Alaska lake trout can live longer than 50 years but more typical maximum ages are around 20 years. The maximum size attained in some Alaskan populations probably exceeds 50 pounds, and 8- to 10-pound fish can be taken in many of the state's fisheries. The current record is a 47-pound laker caught in Clarence Lake in July 1970.
