How to catch togue when they're on the bottom of the lake
How to catch togue when they're on the bottom of the lake explains why lake trout, locally called togue, often move deeper during summer heat and how anglers target that pattern on large lakes. The article, originally published in July 2025, describes using temperature data from an app called LIVE Datacenter, which reports readings from a research buoy set in Lower Bay. It says surface water is about 71 degrees while, at 122 feet, temperatures drop to roughly 44 degrees, prompting lake trout to stay near the bottom. The piece outlines progression in gear, from leadcore line—counting colors as 30-foot segments—to manual clamp-on downriggers and then electric downriggers. It notes that modern Humminbird downriggers use a dedicated transducer to keep lures one or two feet above the bottom as depth changes. The focus is on fishing colder, deeper water as July temperatures rise above 75 degrees to reach larger fish.





