Wisconsin Smoked Lake Trout

Driving through the small town of Eagle River, part of the Land O' Lakes region of northern Wisconsin, I saw a business selling smoked lake trout and whitefish and turned in to look at it. The fish was in a small refrigerator and the proprietor pulled out a box of smoked lake trout and let me look in. Chunks of trout lined the bottom. I pointed to the chunk I wanted, which was plump and moist, and he went into a back room and came out with it in a sealed bag with a Bearcats Fish House label on it. 

Bearcats Fish House is located in Algoma, WI, on the east side of the Door Peninsula in Lake Michigan, the peninsula which creates Green Bay and separates it from the rest of Lake Michigan. It is a fair distance from Eagle River, but I assume the proprietor must have the fish shipped in. 

Several hours later that day, after hiking to the top of Timm's Hill, the high point in Wisconsin, I pulled out the smoked lake trout and opened it up. I believe it is not only the best smoked trout I've had, but perhaps also the best smoked fish I've ever had. It was oily, very moist, had a smoked flavor, but was not overwhelmed by it, and it had no dryness at all. 

Just looking at this you can tell it is very moist.

I made short order of it and now I am contemplating ordering some and having it shipped home.