how do deep-freshwater fish taste? including the lake chelan laker forum

[jeepster]

another member had a thread on fishing lake chelan...

well, i know there are plenty among us who fish big lakes and rivers.....

im 99.9% a saltwater fisherman

it seems like anything ive caught in freshwater  had a "muddy", "lake-y" or "freshwater" flavor...

ive always wanted to fish deep lakes for big lake trout, burbot, and so on,

but.... if they dont taste good, i dont really see a point for putting forth the effort to catch these guys.......................

never done it, but..... compared to a saltwater fish, how do these guys taste? do the deep water fish have that "lake/river" taste???

[teal101]

I hear Burbot are the creme of the crop next to Walleye for freshwater fish.  Freshwater Ling!

[lokidog]

IMHO, the lake trout are good for smoking and just OK otherwise.  I won't eat trout (rainbows) from most lakes as they do taste muddy to me as well, although a few lakes seem to have good ones.  I much prefer panfish, walleye, and bass from freshwater, although a brookie or brown are pretty good as well.

Chelan used to have some good tasting rainbows though.  I am not sure depth has much to do with it, more likely what they are eating, how long they've been in the lake, and water temperature.

[huntergreg]

The fish at lake chelan eat Mysis shrimp. On the lake trout you will catch some with bright orange-pink meat. Those are not bad for baking. Make sure you cut all the fat off the meat before you bake them. The fat makes them not so great to eat. If you get lighter colored meat in the fish they are smokers. I got a rainbow up at chelan and it was good eating didnt have the muddy taste in it. I caught a Burbot this weekend at lake chelan but haven't cooked it up yet.

[JLS]

Burbot is excellent.  Boil it in some salt water and dip in butter.  Add some cajun seasoning oil to the water if you like that stuff.

[lokidog]

The fish at lake chelan eat Mysis shrimp. On the lake trout you will catch some with bright orange-pink meat. Those are not bad for baking. Make sure you cut all the fat off the meat before you bake them. The fat makes them not so great to eat. If you get lighter colored meat in the fish they are smokers. I got a rainbow up at chelan and it was good eating didnt have the muddy taste in it. I caught a Burbot this weekend at lake chelan but haven't cooked it up yet.

I think Lake St Claire in Olympia has the freshwater shrimp as well.  Some of those fish are nice and pink.  The first time I fished it caught a 23 inch rainbow that looked like a sockeye when it was fileted.