The first time I even encountered lake trout was while I was on one of those fishing charters on Lake Michigan. They cooked our catch right on the boat and I was surprised it didn’t taste like I thought it would.

I expected a texture and taste similar to whitefish. In my opinion, it was firmer and had a mild flavor that reminded me more of walleye. I didn’t grow up venturing in the deeper waters of Lake Michigan where a lot of big lake trout hang out. There was a little shack on the bridge over the Chicago River that we used to frequent that had the best tasting smoked lake trout!

Cooking lake trout is cool because it can stand up to a lot of spices, herbs, marinades and sauces. Lake trout is hard to find in grocery stores, and it’s a big fish, supplying big fillets. I love freshwater fish providing hardy portions.

I was babysitting a friend’s twins once and they were so fussy and wouldn’t stop complaining until I stuffed them with my famous smoked lake trout tacos, made with fish caught by their father during a trip to the Canadian wilderness.

A college friend from Door County, Wisconsin schooled me on several ways to prepare lake trout. He grew up angling for them and eating the ones he caught out of Green Bay. He told me they are very forgiving to cook with.

The following are some simple lake trout recipes that can be prepared in a pinch.

Sautéed Lake Trout Fillets

4 lake trout fillets

2 tablespoons butter

4 strips bacon

1 cup cherry tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

Cook trout in butter, remove from pan. Cook bacon; remove from pan. In same pan, use bacon fat to cook tomatoes, garlic and lemon juice. Add fish back in for a minute or so, spoon marinade over fish, top with bacon.

Lake Trout Salad

4 lake trout fillets

2 cups lettuce

1 apple, sliced

1/3 cup seedless grapes, halved

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon vinegar

Cook trout in a bit of oil. Place lettuce on tray and top with cooked trout. In a bowl, toss sliced apple and grapes with olive oil, lemon juice and vinegar; pour mixture over fish.

Baked Lake Trout with Pineapple Salsa

4 trout fillets

1 grapefruit, sliced

1 red onion, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients and pour over trout. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-25 minutes, checking for doneness.

Pineapple Salsa

1 cup canned pineapple

3/4 cup soy sauce

5 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 tomatoes, diced

Mix all ingredients, pour over fish.

Kevin Harmon attended culinary school and has held various positions in restaurants. He has also worked as a private chef specializing in healthy meals.

You’ll find more recipes to prepare using the meat and fish that you’ve harvested yourself in every issue of MidWest Outdoors, available by subscribing on our website.