Side View Area A

Area A is probably the last place you’d expect to find walleyes on this lake. It’s a flat, soft-bottomed nothing. Yet at certain times of the year, such areas host a substantial population of suspended fish. Tracking studies from Chautauqua Lake, New York, for example, confirm a healthy population of large, suspended summer walleyes. But who fishes for them?

In our example lake, walleyes probably spawn (or attempt to) in the feeder creek. Then they begin filtering out into the lake. If conditions are favorable, some (not all) will drop into the basin. The first logical place to find basin fish is just outside the spawning area, although experience shows that suspended fish can spread throughout the basin quite rapidly. Surprisingly, mayfly and other insect hatches in the basin may provide walleyes their best food opportunities at this time of year.

The suspended population continues to build until about the time a solid thermocline forms, weeds bloom, and newly hatched baitfish reach edible size. These factors combine to make the shallow water more attractive and decrease the attractiveness of open water. At this point, some suspended walleyes may start moving shallow again.

Deep, well-oxygenated lakes may host suspended walleyes all summer. However, most shallow lakes start experiencing oxygen depletion, so their suspended fish may eventually move shallow again.