Suspended walleyes often relate to bottom in basin areas, especially where bottom is somewhat firm. Where basins are so mucky that puffy sediment suspends above bottom for a foot or two, fish are likely to be found above it. We’ve had diving experiences during which we’ve actually disappeared below what appeared to be bottom but was only suspended sediment. It’s an eerie feeling. You can’t see this suspension on your depthfinder or graph, but you can look for suspended fish. If you see a lot of suspended fish, you can assume there’s suspended sediment and that walleyes are hovering above it. Get your lures up off bottom, and you’ll catch more fish.

Where there’s a lack of subtle structure or bottom changes to congregate walleyes in the basin, accept the fact that they are going to be roamers who can be almost anywhere, anytime. Best bet: crisscross open water in your boat, using your electronics to scan for the presence of suspended forage or walleyes. Fish where you see fish. If there’s been a consistent wind for several days, try fishing the downwind side of the lake; plankton and baitfish are more likely to gather there. In the end, though, it’s a wide-open playing field, and fish are wherever you find them.

Traditions and Trends, Plus New Perspectives

Some things stand the test of time. Seasonal locations, mostly. Techniques change, but fish remain fish and relate to their environment according to their needs. Good spots tend to remain good unless man alters the environment or overharvests the fishery. New patterns, such as suspended fish or walleyes in shallow cover, get discovered. But many old favorites never go out of style.

Expect traditional behavior in classic lakes. Other natural lakes, however, offer different environments. One recent trend is recognizing and understanding shallow water activity and deep water suspension. These are important in some environments and provide additional options even in classic walleye waters. Interestingly, many of the principles we’ve discovered about shallow water activity and fish suspension originated on prairie lakes that lack any form of distinctive structure. These have now been applied to classic waters.

Lakes with slow-tapering shorelines present their own unique challenge, mostly because they lack distinct drop-offs to concentrate fish. Anglers who feel confident when fishing depth changes that appear on their depthfinders become nervous after zipping around a lake and not finding obvious structure. Don’t abandon slopes on any body of water too quickly if they adjoin spawning grounds. Walleyes gradually disperse from shoreline tapers, so be prepared to sift through subtle clues to find postspawn walleyes.

Does shoreline cover “produce” fish? Do rocks, fallen trees, reeds, cane, bogs? Walleyes can be found surprisingly shallow in spring in nearly all bodies of water where they’re present. Don’t automatically eliminate shorelines; explore the possibilities. Shorelines are prime feeding areas in prairie lakes and dark water lakes in bog country, particularly during spring and summer. They may not produce in deep, clear waters by day, but in shallow, stained water, they may be hot spots bypassed by anglers unaware that walleyes can be that shallow. Two or three feet of water is deep enough to hold feeding ‘eyes.