Freshwater

Burbot (eelpout, lingcod of fresh water)

Lota (bacalao de agua dulce)

Lota lota

Freshwater

At a glance

Typical size

1–4 lb.

Depth

10–200 ft.

Best time

Night.

Found in

17 areas

Spot it, size it up and learn its habits.

Identification: The only freshwater cod: long, eel-like body, mottled olive-brown, a single barbel on the chin, a long second dorsal fin and a long anal fin that run nearly to the rounded tail.
Typical size: 1–4 lb.
Maximum size: About 3 ft and over 20 lb.
Diet: Fish, crayfish and insects.
Behavior: Most active at night and in winter; spawns under the ice in mid-winter.

Where, when and how deep to look.

Where to find it: Found from Alaska, Yukon, NWT & Nunavut, Canadian Prairies, Northern Ontario, Quebec, Hudson Bay & Labrador, British Columbia, Upper Midwest Lakes, U.S. Great Lakes, Northeast Lakes & Rivers, Pacific Northwest Rivers & Lakes, Rocky Mountain Trout Rivers, Ontario Great Lakes, Northern & Central Europe, Scandinavia & Iceland (Norway, Sweden, Denmark), Russia, Mongolia & Kazakhstan and France. Deep, cold lakes and big rivers across Canada, Alaska, the Great Lakes and the northern U.S.; also across northern Europe and Asia.
Habitat: Deep, cold lakes and big rivers across Canada, Alaska, the Great Lakes and the northern U.S.; also across northern Europe and Asia.
Depth: 10–200 ft.
Fishing depth: On the bottom, 15–60 ft in winter.
Best season: Winter, through the ice.
Best time: Night.
Best tides: No tide; wind and water level matter more.
Best weather / conditions: Cold, dark winter nights.

What to tie on and what to throw.

Best bait: Cut cisco, smelt, minnows and fish strips.
Best artificial lures: Glow jigs and jigging spoons tipped with bait, banged on the bottom.
Tackle setup: Medium ice rod.
Hook size: Glow jigs or size 2–2/0 hooks.
Line: 10–15 lb.
Leader: Not needed.

The rod, reel, line and lures BigJoe would use.

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Step by step, from first cast to landing.

Go where it lives: Deep, cold lakes and big rivers across Canada, Alaska, the Great Lakes and the northern U.S.; also across northern Europe and Asia.
Rig up: Medium ice rod. Not needed.
Pick your bait: Cut cisco, smelt, minnows and fish strips. Lures: Glow jigs and jigging spoons tipped with bait, banged on the bottom.
Fish it: Through the ice at night, pound a glow jig tipped with cut bait on the bottom to stir up mud, then hold it still.
Time it: Night. No tide; wind and water level matter more.

Fishing techniques: Through the ice at night, pound a glow jig tipped with cut bait on the bottom to stir up mud, then hold it still.
BigJoe's tip: Keep a glow jig charged with a flashlight every few minutes.
Catch and release: Catch and release: wet your hands, keep the fish in the water when you can, and release it quickly. Use circle hooks and a dehooker.

Is it good to eat, and how to prepare it.

Edibility: Excellent eating — one of the best-tasting fish in its range.
Cleaning: Bleed and ice it right away. Fillet, then remove the skin and any dark bloodline.
Cooking suggestions: Called 'poor man's lobster': firm white meat that is great boiled and dipped in butter, or fried.

Safety, rules and taking care of the fishery.

Safety warnings: Ice safety first: check ice thickness, never fish alone at night, and carry ice picks.
Regulations: Limits vary by state and province; in some western waters (such as Wyoming's Green River system) it is invasive and anglers are asked to keep them. Licenses, limits and seasons are set by each province, territory or state, and many lakes and rivers have special size limits, slot limits or closed spawning seasons — check the current regulations for the water you fish.
Conservation: Sensitive to warming waters in the south of its range.

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Sources & photo credits