Fishing Tip: Where Are the Walleye?
The first question to ask is: "What season is it"? Walleye have a "migration" pattern that finds them in different places doing different things at different times of the year.
In the spring, they will be occupied with the spawn when the water temp is between 40 and 50 (degrees F).
You will find them near river inlets and/or in shallow rock piles.
During the day they may hang out in 8ft-12ft of water and venture into shallower areas at night to lay/fertilize eggs.
Many areas have a protected season during this time.
Check your fishing area.
When the water gets warmer, they leave the spawn areas and head for deeper water.
Walleye like to "hang out" near the bottom and attack prey from below.
So you will want to look for them near dropoffs, around sunken islands, reefs, etc.
Test the depths around 12ft to 15ft.
If no bites, try a little deeper.
Early in the spring can sometimes be a challenge to locate them because they may not have "schooled up" after the spawn.
The large females leave the spawn areas first.
The males may stay in the spawning areas a few weeks longer.
As a result, they could be a little scattered out.
In the late spring and summer, you will find walleye in similar reefs and deep rocky points as above.
However, as the water warms, they may choose to find deeper cooler spots and avoid the summer heat and bright sun.
Finding them in 18ft-30ft of water during the summer days is not unusual.
You may have to do some testing to find the right depth for a given area.
In the fall, you will still find them near the bottom in the same type structures, but as the water cools off, they may seek shallower areas looking for active baitfish/minnows, etc.
There is no reason to believe that walleye go on some kind of feeding binge to fatten up for a long winter (at least that is what the fish biologist say).
But that is what I would do if I were a fish, wouldn't you? Winter...
forget it! You will not find me or our fishing group out on the ice, period! No, we are not afraid or 'soft' or whatever.
We are from the midwest and will probably not being going to Canada in the dead of winter to try to find walleye.
Leave the fish alone for gosh sakes.
We will wait for spring!
In the spring, they will be occupied with the spawn when the water temp is between 40 and 50 (degrees F).
You will find them near river inlets and/or in shallow rock piles.
During the day they may hang out in 8ft-12ft of water and venture into shallower areas at night to lay/fertilize eggs.
Many areas have a protected season during this time.
Check your fishing area.
When the water gets warmer, they leave the spawn areas and head for deeper water.
Walleye like to "hang out" near the bottom and attack prey from below.
So you will want to look for them near dropoffs, around sunken islands, reefs, etc.
Test the depths around 12ft to 15ft.
If no bites, try a little deeper.
Early in the spring can sometimes be a challenge to locate them because they may not have "schooled up" after the spawn.
The large females leave the spawn areas first.
The males may stay in the spawning areas a few weeks longer.
As a result, they could be a little scattered out.
In the late spring and summer, you will find walleye in similar reefs and deep rocky points as above.
However, as the water warms, they may choose to find deeper cooler spots and avoid the summer heat and bright sun.
Finding them in 18ft-30ft of water during the summer days is not unusual.
You may have to do some testing to find the right depth for a given area.
In the fall, you will still find them near the bottom in the same type structures, but as the water cools off, they may seek shallower areas looking for active baitfish/minnows, etc.
There is no reason to believe that walleye go on some kind of feeding binge to fatten up for a long winter (at least that is what the fish biologist say).
But that is what I would do if I were a fish, wouldn't you? Winter...
forget it! You will not find me or our fishing group out on the ice, period! No, we are not afraid or 'soft' or whatever.
We are from the midwest and will probably not being going to Canada in the dead of winter to try to find walleye.
Leave the fish alone for gosh sakes.
We will wait for spring!
Source...