Spring Walleye Run on the Wolf River

Spring Run, Wolf River Fishing Tips

(part 1 of 2)

Each year, the famous Wolf River (WI) can provide one of the greatest walleye spawning runs in the country.  The Wolf River is located in the heart of Central Wisconsin, and runs from Shawano, WI to the mouth of Lake Poygan near Winneconne, WI.  The entire water basin runs for a total of 3,670 square miles.  Cities on the system include Clintonville, New London, Shawano, Fremont and Waupaca.  The river is relatively untouched by large cities and parts of the river remain void of development, bringing a “back to nature” feel to it.

The Wolf River feeds into the Winnebago system (Lake Poygan, Lake Winneconne, Lake Winnebago and Lake Buttes des Mortes) and the lower Fox River.  These lakes are some of the highest quality white bass and walleye waters in the country, and many of the mature fish will find their way up the Wolf River to spawn each spring. 

According to the Wisconsin Department of Resources, 2001 was one of the largest classes of walleyes ever produced.  Many of these fish have developed into spawning size fish and account for nearly 60% of the spawning walleyes currently in the Wolf River.  Subsequently, 2008 also produced near record levels of walleyes, potentially ensuring the long term success for the system for many years.  The 2008 class will not be ready to spawn until 2011 or 2012 and beyond. 

Typically an eight year old female walleye on the system is in the 25” inch range.  Rarely are 30” walleyes seen on the entire system (the debate is endless as to why)  and Wolf River is purely about number of fish vs. trophy fish.

Pre Spawn

Typically toward the end of February or early March, many of Lake Winnebago’s spawning-ready walleyes will stage near the mouth of the Fox River in Oshkosh.   They will start their journey up the river and through the upper lakes.  Some will head further down the Fox River, while a good chunk will proceed through the Winneconne Bridge area to Fremont, New London and beyond.  There are many marshes along the way to Shawano.  These marshes and sloughs will provide warm water runoff into the river, offering attractive spawning grounds.   

As the fish move up the river they will be seeking the path of the least resistance.  The water current is typically strong with all of the melting snow, so the fish will seek areas which do not have heavy current to make the journey much easier.  (Kind of like a motorcyclist hiding behind a semi to cut the wind).  Many times the fish will find slack water areas to rest and feed.  Feeding at this point is not the most important item on their mind, while spawning is dominating their thoughts.  The walleye tend to be deep in the river when in the current or near eddies.  Be sure to check the holes (especially the front of the hole) in the river for resting walleyes waiting for an easy meal being swept down the current for them.

The Wolf River, like many other rivers, has predictable trends from year to year as the fish move to spawning areas.  Talk to the local bait shops for local areas to target.  Males will arrive first, with females coming up the river a little later. 

River bends are key at this time, especially at night.  Walleyes have very light sensitive eyes, so night provides a perfect time to move through the slack water areas to avoid the current.  These fish will move quickly and tend to spook very easy.  Your approach must be stealth like, with casting of crank baits or a jig and a minnow being the most common techniques.  During the day, seek out staging areas that the fish may be using as they rest until night.  Target water depths of 5-8 feet. 

While fishing the deep water during this period, plan on keeping your presentation close to the bottom.  The famous Wolf River Rig was designed for this specific purpose.  Be sure to check those deep holes with the rig for active fish.  As the fish get to the chosen spawning areas, watch your graph.  Seek out the warmest water possible to target.  If the spawning party has not started yet, these fish will look to “warm up” from the long cold winter.   Seek out staging areas near the marshes should you be a little early to the party.   

Initially, your live bait selection should run on the large size after ice out.  These fish have been feeding on the larger shad within the system for months (and little to no food sources in the system are on the small size currently because they have not hatched yet).  The presentation must be slow.  Remember, food is not the primary objective, so make the meal as easy as possible for the walleyes.  Many times the walleyes are still sluggish in the sub 40 degree temperatures.    The bites tend to be light, so a stinger hook is a solid choice at this point.   As time goes on during the journey upstream, the walleyes will seek smaller meals.  Once up the river, a small fat head minnow on a jig may be the perfect meal for an ambushing fish.  Ideal walleye spawning conditions are between 42-50 degrees for water temperatures. 

Part 2 coming soon (post spawn)