Freshwater
Walleye
Where to find them, how to catch them and the tackle to use.
01Introduction
The walleye is a large, light-shy member of the perch family, named for its big, glassy eyes. It's native to the middle of North America and stocked far beyond, and it's a favorite with anglers because it's challenging to catch and excellent to eat. Big walleye reach 12 to 15 pounds, and the world record is 25.
02Where to Catch
Range: native from the Rocky Mountains to the Appalachians, north to Great Slave Lake in northwest Canada and south to Arkansas, Mississippi and Alabama. Stocking has spread walleye east of the Appalachians, west to the Columbia River and south into Texas, though hot summer water limits them in the South.
Habitat: large lakes, reservoirs and rivers. Walleye relate to the bottom and to structure, such as points, drop-offs, sunken islands, reefs, rocky flats and the outside edge of weedbeds, but they also suspend in open water to follow schools of baitfish. Where they sit depends on light and food:
- Spring: tributaries and rocky spawning areas, then nearby shallows to feed.
- Summer: deeper in lakes, near the top of the cooler water layer, moving shallow to feed at night. In rivers, wing dams, wood, current seams and surprisingly shallow water.
- Fall: shallows again as the water cools, especially where current flows in and on points close to deep water; in rivers, deeper pools as winter nears.
- Winter: classic structure where they were in fall; points are especially good under the ice.
03How to Catch
Timing
Walleye feed best in low light: dawn, the hour or so around sunset and at night. Overcast skies and wind-chopped water can bring a daytime bite, and a sudden cold front in early fall can switch them on.
Jigging
A leadhead jig tipped with a soft-plastic tail or a minnow is the most versatile walleye lure. Hop it along the bottom on structure, or pitch a weedless jig into wood and rocks in rivers. Blade baits, cast and lifted off the bottom or jigged vertically, work well in cold water.
Live-bait rigs and harnesses
Drag a nightcrawler, leech or minnow on a slip-sinker rig or behind a bottom bouncer, or run a spinner harness with a crawler. In summer, a slip bobber puts a leech or minnow right at the depth the fish are holding. In rivers, anchor so the current carries your bait along a bar or into an eddy.
Trolling
Trolling minnow-style crankbaits along points and breaklines covers water, especially at dusk in the fall when big walleye move shallow.
Through the ice
Set up on points and classic structure, and watch for walleye moving up to feed at first and last light. Jigging spoons, blade baits and jigging minnow lures work well; lift and drop them off the bottom. A tip-up with a minnow also catches walleye, but jigging lets you move and search.
04Tackle
A 6½- to 7½-foot medium-light to medium spinning rod with a fast tip and thin braid (or light monofilament) lets you feel light bites; add a fluorocarbon leader in clear water. Walleye are light biters in cold water, so keep slack out of your line and use a small stinger hook near the tail of a minnow to catch short strikers. Carry jigs, soft-plastic tails, blade baits, crankbaits, crawler harnesses, slip sinkers, bottom bouncers and slip bobbers. Check your state's regulations for size and bag limits.
05Questions anglers ask
Why are walleye most active at night?
Walleye eyes have a reflective layer that lets them see and feed in dim light, so they're most active at dawn, dusk and night, and on cloudy, windy days. Texas Parks and Wildlife notes that most walleye activity, including spawning, happens at night.
When do walleye spawn?
In early spring, when the water reaches about 45 to 50°F. They move up tributaries to spawn on gravel riffles, or spawn on rocky reefs, shorelines and riprap in lakes.
How do I tell a walleye from a sauger?
The lower tip of a walleye's tail is white; a sauger's isn't. Sauger also have a more limited range and don't grow as large.