This may be a wild area as there aren't two fishermen who think alike, not to mention other ingredients such as superstitions, etc.. However, here's my thinking on fats. I believe Lake Trout are frequently misidentified as "Fats" (Siscowet) without cutting fish open. I also believe there is some confusion once a fish is opened up whether it's a Lake Trout with varying degrees of fat and has meat is not red but is very light in color, that is thought to be a Fat but is not. Light colored meat does not automatically indicate it is a Fat. In my mind, a Fat you'll know you when you cut it open. The meat is usually almost white, is soft or mushy, the knife glides through it, and it smells terrible. You should throw it in the trash. Don't try to smoke or fry it! Fats used to be caught mostly in over 200' water. Now it's not uncommon to catch them in shallower water.

• I don't think anyone one can consistently tell a Fat by just looking at or even closely examining them, contrary to what a lot of fishermen and even most DNR people will tell you. The key words you often hear are snub nose, fat belly, and sometimes bug eyes. I'm the first to admit that I often can't tell for sure. If they appear to have those qualities, I contend you have to cut them open to be sure. I've asked any number of people, including some DNR people to point a Fat out and after cutting them open, they were not always right and admitted it. On the other hand I feel most people can determine which are "Leans" when the Lake Trout has a truly "lean look."
• I believe there is very little difference in taste in Lake Trout between the lighter (not Fats) meats and red or orange meats, but most everyone likes the looks of the latter. To compound the confusion, I think there is an upcoming class of cross-breeding or mix which makes it increasingly more difficult to distinguish "edible" Lake Trout from ones you should toss. A few Lake Trout it seems are just plain laced with fat and yet, I really would not consider them a Fat, but wouldn't eat them either. My guess is I get less than 5% Fats each year. Joe