when we first did lake trout we would leave the scales/skin on the fillet. after experimenting with salmon back home, i determined the best flavor/texture was achieved by skinning the fillet and squirting a tiny bit of spray butter on the foil under the fish. by skinning you can also remove the mud line(all the brown glands/fat. it takes out all the really fishy gross flavoring.

i dont think ive scaled a trout in my life. they have such tiny fine scales that stay stuck in the skin its not worth the effort.