Lake trout in Erie? I don’t remember ever catching or seeing someone catch one 20 years ago when I left Ohio. I would think that they would only exist in the far eastern edge of the lake where water is the deepest and coldest.
Yes Lake Erie does have lake trout and I have seen over 20 boated before. This was not on any certain trip but through the course of many years fishing Erie for Smallmouth, Perch and Walleye.
In fact 2012 produced a PA Record Lake Trout http://www.erietvnews.com/story/18159898/pa-record-lake-trout-caught-here
Very tough fish to get in the boat but they are a blast to hook and pound for pound they rank up with big Smallmouth.