| Walleye Fishing | | | | daytime. |
| The best walleye populations are found in Midwest | | | | Night fishing with a slip-bobber and leech is an excellent |
| lakes that are sandy, windswept, and moderately | | | | way for catching walleyes in spring. Anchor on the |
| fertile. Generally, these lakes have a walleye's favorite | | | | edge of a break just before sunset and cast into four |
| food, yellow perch, in healthy numbers. | | | | to eight feet of water. Trolling with a shallow-running |
| These types of lakes are also likely to carry a wide | | | | minnow plug also works. There is usually a good bite |
| variety of other gamefish. Most have largemouth bass, | | | | for three to fours hours after dark. |
| sunfish, crappies, northern pike and maybe smallmouth | | | | Mid-Summer Fishing offers a less favorable Bite |
| bass and muskies. | | | | Most walleyes hand around at depths of 12 to 18 feet |
| The location of walleyes depends on the oxygen | | | | along the edge of the break during the day. Slow |
| content of the lake. Many fertile lakes lack oxygen in | | | | trolling with a slip-sinker rig with a leech or casting with |
| the depths in summer, forcing walleyes into the | | | | a jig and minnow are good methods of catching them. |
| shallows often 10 feet or less in depth. | | | | During summer nights, troll in eight to ten feet of water |
| Spawning | | | | along the tops of the midlake flats, next to the |
| The ideal spawning habitat for walleyes is created | | | | drop-off. |
| when constant waves expose rubble along the | | | | Mid-summer is the least productive walleye-fishing |
| shoreline. This perpetual motion of water keeps eggs | | | | season because yellow perch and other baitfish reach |
| aerated and prevents them from silting over. | | | | an attractive size. When two to three inch perch are |
| Walleyes are best suited for larger and/or rounder | | | | readily available walleyes become harder to catch. |
| lakes where spawning is ideal (wind-swept shorelines). | | | | Fall offers a good Bite for Walleyes |
| Spawning begins when the water warms to about | | | | Walleyes tend to go deeper around the middle of |
| 48°. During this time and up to 10 days | | | | September, moving back into weeds at night, |
| afterwards, females rarely bite. The smaller males will | | | | especially green ones. During the day, they tend to |
| bite during this time. Luckily for fishermen, walleyes go | | | | stay at depths of 25 to 35 feet, along the edge of a |
| on a month-long feeding binge after spawning. The | | | | break. Steeper slops generally hold more walleyes |
| best places to fish at this time in usually in water 15 | | | | than more gradual ones. The fish are feeding more |
| feet or less. The low angle of the sun's ray allows | | | | aggressively when they enter deeper waters, and |
| them to stay in the shallows all day, because it has little | | | | midday fishing improves as well. Larger baits, like a |
| effect on their light-sensitive eyes. | | | | three to four inch minnow on a jib or slip-sinker rig, |
| Where to find Walleyes | | | | work well. |
| Walleyes are found most of the time in 30 feet of | | | | Ice Fishing for Walleyes |
| water or less. In deep lakes, walleyes are found along | | | | Early in the ice-fishing season, walleyes can be found |
| shorelines and shallow midlake bars. Shallow lakes, for | | | | in 10 to 12 feet of water on points along the midlake |
| these reasons, support many more walleyes than | | | | flats. Around the middle of January, they are more |
| deeper ones. | | | | likely to be found in 18 to 30 feet, on the ends of |
| Most walleyes are caught at night or in cloudy, breezy | | | | cabbage humps or the same points along the midlake |
| weather. Breezy, choppy waters help deflect the rays | | | | flats. |
| of the sun, allowing walleyes (who are light sensitive) to | | | | Walleyes generally move to shallower waters when |
| venture out of their regular hangouts. On calm, sunny | | | | snow cover is heavy, the sky is overcast, or it's early |
| days, walleyes spend most of their time in the shade | | | | or late in the day. They usually go deeper when it's |
| or near weeds. The low angle of the sun in the spring | | | | midday, in sunny weather, or under light snow cover. |
| makes cover less important. After the fishing opener in | | | | Ice-Fishing Equipment |
| mid-May, walleyes are moving through shallow water | | | | · Light tackle |
| in search of food. Look for them at this time on points, | | | | · For tip-ups, use a six-pound mono leader, a |
| inside turns along sand shoreline breaks, and rocky | | | | split-shot or two and a size 4 hook. |
| midlake humps. Lakes and rivers with murky waters | | | | · For jigging, use a three-foot, medium-power |
| that screen out the sunlight should be fished during the | | | | jigging rod, a small spinning reel and six-pound mono. |