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