Exciting Times for Walleye Fishermen

Early Season River Walleyes

Late March, April and early May can be exciting times for walleye fisherman in the upper Midwest. Personally, I believe the spring spawning run holds the greatest odds of any time of the year to land an ‘eye in the 10+ pound category, especially in one of the Great Lakes tributaries. Early season walleye fishing can be spectacular or very frustrating, so here are some tips to make it a trophy year.

Depending where you live in the Midwest, ice out occurs at different times. Rest assured, once the melting snow flows over the warmer land masses and then into the lakes, the walleye will start to move from the deep main lake basins into the shallows (under 10 feet of water) or near feeder creeks to spawn. Average spawn dates vary by longitude. *The average spawn date of Rainy Lake (MN/ON) is May 6th; Mille Lacs (MN) May 1^st, Shelbyville Lake (IL) is April 4^th.

Especially in rivers, when the warm rain water runoff fills the river and the current starts to flow, Walleyes instinctually are drawn up river to find spawning areas. In a river system, the females will head to their selected spawning location. Many males are already up stream waiting for the females to arrive, and often stay longer waiting on late-arriving females.

This sounds like a bar in Upper Michigan I used to frequent years ago. Most of the time the female walleyes will seek out hard bottom areas of the river, marsh, or lakes in which they inhabit. Man made locks or dams, or river rapids can stop the migrating fishing from traveling any further up stream, and make for key fishing structure.  

When fishing in the spring on a river, seek out the place which walleyes desire. The spring run off creates a lot of current and walleyes tend to seek out areas where they are out of the current when not migrating. Locations like wing dams, river bends, deep holes or bridge pillars make excellent resting points for the eyes. They will sit in these slack water areas waiting to ambush their next easy meal or your lure. 

Like many roads in the US, there is a traffic flow of fish migrating in the river systems. This is completely dictated by current. As a rule of thumb, the walleyes seek the easiest route to get up river, and back down it. Many times fish will gravitate to the inside bends of the river on the migration up river. This offers the least amount of current resistance as they move upstream. On the way back from the spawn, the outside bends may be more productive as they can flow with the heavier current streams back to the main lake. Like many drivers, some fish just don’t follow the rules, so be sure to check both sides of the river.

Spawning runs can occur very quickly or can take several weeks depending on conditions. Once water temps reach the low to mid 40’s, be prepared for the walleye run. I have always used the rule of thumb to stay tighter to the bottom when the fish run up the river, and a little higher in the water column when they return, especially if shore fishing. In either case, my experience has indicated most fish stay toward the bottom of the structure.

Other key focal points are areas which have warmer water temperatures. Water inlets, power plants, dams and shallow water typically have slightly warmer water temperatures than the surrounding area. 

To monitor water flow in major river systems, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has a wonderful site which gives real time data as to gage, discharge, and water temperature. The link to the Fox River in Oshkosh is http://waterdata.usgs.gov/wi/nwis/uv?04082400. You can manipulate the site to find other areas of the country which might interest you more, say the Maumee River in Ohio. Continue to monitor this site to pick peak fishing times and optimal water temperatures for the spawn to occur.

Once water temps reach the low 50’s, the walleye spawn typically draws to an end. Unlike bass or other species of fish, walleyes do not stick around to protect their eggs or young. Since walleyes are one of the earliest spawning species of fish, their sole focus is now on food. The post spawn fish tend to move near other food sources or pre spawning schools of fish, typically in warmer waters and shallow rocky shore lines which attract those fish. 

Once you get out on the river this spring, be sure to email you trophy catches to us and we will try to incorporate them into the website. Send those pictures to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

*Source: http://www.fishingthunderbay.com/spawntable.htm