Walleye Range Map The original distribution of walleyes included most of central North America, from near the Alaskan border to

Think of it: Every spring, walleyes literally go far out of their way to pack into easily recognizable areas where we anxiously anticipate their arrival. It may be possible to toss out an anchor and wait for their arrival if their point of concentration is small or narrow enough. Fish passing to and through narrows, rivers, and other shooting galleries become targets of extreme opportunity, at least for a short while.

Have fun while it lasts, however, because as soon as spawning’s over and the main body of their environment begins to warm, walleyes hightail it for food, cover, and habitat opportunities. How far and how fast they travel depends on what the lake, river, or reservoir has to offer. But one thing’s for sure: They don’t stay in limited spawning areas for long. Once their primal urges are satisfied, they kick into high gear because otherwise they will run out of food and space. They must move to survive.

It’s comforting, however, to know that you can begin your fishing season pretty sure about where the walleyes are. Walk the shoreline at night along likely spawning areas, shining a flashlight in the water. Walleye eyes reflect the light and tell you how many, how large, and how intensely the fish are clustered in the immediate area. Even if you don’t begin night fishing, you’ll know they’ll be nearby once daylight comes. Simply interpret the available cover or structural options and fish them with appropriate presentations. You gain the confidence that comes from knowing that fish are somewhere nearby.

Even as postspawn walleyes begin dispersing toward summer habitat, it’s possible to anticipate their movements, plot their course, and plan your ambush along the way. The first few adjacent structures begin to draw large numbers of fish. Then the next few structures down the lake. And so on and so on. In expansive lakes and reservoirs, simply knowing which sections of the lake hold the most walleyes on a seasonal basis is one of the biggest keys to catching them. They group, say “ready, set, go,” and begin the great race to summer haunts from a known position. Every year. The pace of the race may vary from season to season, but the outcome is predictable. Here to there and back again. No matter how far and how fast they roam, they always return home.

If you like a high degree of predictability in your feature attraction, then walleyes may just win the award for best screen play by a movable beast. After all, Oscar was a fish long before he was a Hollywood statuette.