Spring Into Early Summer

Reservoirs are manmade hybrids of lake and river environments that reflect the landform they impound. Some are shallow with abundant flooded cover; some are deep with little vegetation; others have both. Walleyes are walleyes wherever you go, but many variables can alter their behavior and location hourly, daily, season to season, year to year, region to region, and reservoir to reservoir. Spawning locations, high and low water levels, high and low predator and baitfish populations, warmwater and coldwater forage, and wind conditions affect walleye location and behavior.

Spawning Patterns

In spring, spawning is the main reason walleyes seek specific locations. Their location is greatly influenced by water temperature, seeking water that warms the quickest. Most spawning grounds are shallow (from one to six feet), although spawning can take place in deeper clear water.

Walleyes are drawn to current in major rivers or to smaller tributaries in creek arms. Gravel and rocky sections near incoming rivers and tributary streams, main-lake points, and shorelines attract prespawn walleyes. Some fish may spawn on riprap along the face of the dam. During years of high flow, they may spawn on flooded shoreline terrestrial vegetation.

Walleyes start spawning when the water reaches 40°F to 45°F. Male walleyes generally arrive first at the spawning grounds. Males are aggressive throughout the period as they wait for females to filter in and out of the spawning grounds. Females stage away from spawning sites in slower current, seeking warmer water during the Prespawn Period to help their eggs mature. They generally don’t spend much time at the spawning site (sometimes less than a half day), often just long enough to dump their eggs. Once spawning begins, an entire walleye population usually finish spawning in 14 to 24 days.

Forage Influences

Various types of forage species and their abundance (population) influence walleye location and behavior. Walleyes may key on different forage species as the seasons change and as forage becomes more or less readily available.

Forage species affect walleye location. Shallow cover like weeds, scattered rocks, or flooded wood hold baitfish like minnows, chubs, shiners, perch, and young-of-the-year forage. Walleyes may stay shallow or move shallow to feed if a substantial population of forage is present.

Many reservoirs also have selfsustaining populations of coldwater baitfish—ciscoes, smelt, or alewives—that create deeper feeding opportunities and fishing patterns. These high-protein baitfish increase walleye growth rate, which in turn creates larger average-size walleyes with the potential to grow trophy and record-class fish. As summer approaches, walleyes tend to roam and suspend, often following coldwater baitfish to open water.

Forage abundance affects walleye behavior. When the food supply is high, walleyes can successfully feed without expending much energy—resulting in fair to poor angling success. During spring, in reservoirs with a substantial smelt population, hordes of smelt move into creek arms, tributaries, and along rocky shorelines—some of the same spots walleyes key on for spawning—when water temperatures approach the high 40°F to low 50° F range. The overlap of smelt and walleyes near key shallow spawning locations makes feeding easy for walleyes and often shuts down most angling success.

Another example of angling blues, caused by an overabundance of prey, is when burrowing mayflies hatch in hordes from mud bottoms of lakes and rivers. In spring, as swarms of larva emerge to the surface, one open-mouth swoop through a dense pod of emerging larva quickly fills an average-size walleye stomach.

When primary baitfish populations are low, however, walleyes must supplement their diet with other food. They must also compete more for food. So their behavior seems more aggressive, and they’re willing to expend more energy in pursuing a potential meal.

Perch are a primary food source for walleye in many waters. Perch, although prolific, their populations are cyclic, and their fluctuating population affects walleye population, size, and angler success. When a perch population is high, walleyes compete less for food, creating healthy and well-balanced walleye year classes for the following years. When perch populations decline, walleyes must adapt to the changes, competing more for food as they seek other forage in order to survive, which may include larger walleyes eating young walleyes and other gamefish.

High And Low Water

In most reservoirs, water levels stabilize for extended periods. During low water, terrestrial vegetation—cottonwood saplings, willows, tumble-weeds, clover—flourish along shorelines. Dropping water levels or drought conditions also tend to concentrate walleyes on deep structure and possibly to suspend in open water.

When water levels rise, shoreline vegetation floods, creating good cover for warmwater baitfish and young-of-the-year forage. Flooded shoreline vegetation also serves as good spawning cover for most species. The nutrient-rich flooded cover, however, will eventually disappear until the low and high water cycle repeats. So recognize the pattern and take advantage of flooded cover during its early stages.

During stable water levels, wave action often displaces soil and exposes rocks, which create a lipped drop-off. The longer the water level remains constant, the more pronounced the exposed lip. The process, which occurs during both high-water and low-water years, creates several distinct shelves with exposed hard bottom spots that attract baitfish and walleyes.

Wave Action Reaction

In reservoirs, wind causes water movement that creates current, which often triggers walleyes to move shallow to feed. Wind sends waves crashing into shorelines, points, and bays, mixing sediment into the water, which creates a cloud of murky water (mudline). In spring, stained water absorbs heat from the sun, warming the water several degrees, which is often all that’s necessary to draw prespawn walleyes or baitfish shallow.

Depending on the expanse of the mudline, walleyes typically can be found at key depths between 3 to 15 feet. Work the mudline path by pitching jigs or crankbaits shallow. Pitch your jig right to shore, hopping it across bottom back to the boat, using a lift-drop retrieve. Pitch diving crankbaits shallow, bouncing them back on a straight retrieve over rocks and the bottom.