Most natural lakes with naturally reproducing walleye populations feature at least one of three basic types of spawning areas where walleyes deposit eggs across a shallow (2- to 6-foot-deep) expanse of fist- to head-sized rock. Find such spots when spring water temperatures are in the high 30°F to upper 40°F range, and walleyes are usually somewhere nearby. Catching them isn’t difficult once you find them.

Strike one—Rocky feeder creeks, incoming streams, and causeways spanning flowing water where rocky bottom is swept by current. Since creeks and streams tend to warm quickly in spring, such spots usually attract the earliest spawning-related activity. Flowing water also tends to attract minnow forage, furthering the attractiveness of inlets to walleyes. These are great places to fish shallow at night, with the adjacent deeper water outside the creek mouth a hot spot for daytime angling. A sufficiently deeper hole immediately downstream from a causeway, however, can sometimes hold fish during the day as well.

Strike two—Rock-gravel-boulder shorelines and extended points where wind-generated current oxygenates eggs deposited in the nooks and crannies between rocks. If suitable areas are limited, walleyes will concentrate heavily along drop-offs. If rocky shorelines are abundant, prespawn walleyes may spread along shoreline areas throughout the lake. All else being equal, shorelines receiving the brunt of wave action due to predominant wind direction tend to be best. Shallow, rocky narrows areas are particularly good candidates. Fish shallow at night, deeper during the day.

Strike three—Shallow rock reefs swept by wind and waves. Generally located amidst deeper cooler water than shoreline spots, reef areas tend to warm slower and host the latter portion of the walleye spawn. Shallow offshore reefs are exposed to wind from all directions, as opposed to shorelines that are sheltered from certain wind directions.

Curve ball—In some areas, chains of natural lakes were created by installing small concrete spiller dams across outflow creeks and raising lake levels as little as 5 feet or so, expanding the original acreage and often permitting boat navigation between several connected waters. Prespawn walleyes may cluster at night immediately below these mini dams, dropping downstream during the day to the first available deeper water. In rare instances, walleyes may even gather above the dam where water exits the upstream lake. Seldom, however, is the outflow above the spiller dam a major draw for spring walleyes. With current being such a strong spring walleye attractor, though, such areas are worth a quick check at night unless soft bottom precludes any possibility of spawning.

Knuckleball—In natural lakes lacking any of the aforementioned shallow rock areas, walleye populations may exist, although they are typically sustained by stocking. In spring, fish instinctively tend to make spawning runs (even though unsuccessful) toward current areas, silted-in shorelines with scattered rock, or something at least resembling a spawning site. Such less-than-classic spots may provide decent to excellent spring fishing, depending on the fish population and how tightly fish gather near them.

Game plan—Interpret the timing and progression of the spawn to take advantage of peak fishing conditions spanning a one- to two-week period. Basically, look for creek spawners early in the game, main-lake spawners throughout the middle innings, and reef spawners to close out the action. Fish adjacent deeper options—drop-offs, cover—during the day, and proceed right up into a couple feet of water at night, often right along the shoreline. Where walleyes concentrate heavily in limited key spots, you can often catch ‘em right from shore, or by wading. Where fish tend to spread out across wider areas, a boat is usually necessary to cover the bases.

Heavy-Hitter Tips For Fishing Prespawn Areas On Natural Lakes

Jiggin’—Walleye pro John Peterson, past PWT winner and co-founder of Northland Fishing Tackle, is a jigger extraordinaire.

“Anglers tend to equate jigs with vertical fishing,” Peterson says, “but when the water’s cold in spring, I do a lot of casting, particularly because the fish tend to be shallow. Slow, methodical casting is best—a lesson learned over many years of fishing. I tend to be energetic and want to work fast, but I can’t count the times when the other guy fishing with me has had his hand in the lunch bucket or put his rod down and caught more fish than the aggressive jigger (me). In fact, deadsticking has become one of my favorite ways for catching coldwater lethargic walleyes, providing you’re confident that you’re on fish and patient enough to wait for bites.

“I like to use light line and small 1/16-ounce jigs, which are effective in the 4- to 12-foot depth range. I also like a small-profile offering in early spring, and I tend to avoid using a plastic body on the jig, just a Fire-Ball Jig with a short-shank wide-gap hook that holds the minnow tight to the jighead. Nice and compact. In most cases, I prefer a fathead minnow, especially the smaller females that are lighter in texture; whiter bodies probably are easier for gamefish to see. If I tip the jig with shiners, I pick out medium to smaller shiners, especially in lakes that have a natural population of shiners. Sometimes a bigger minnow works, but most days, the fish are only in a mood to take things if they’re just right—subtle, shallow, slow, small.

I always look for the warmest water in the lake. In doing so, I pay attention not only to where wind is coming from today, but also where it’s been from the last few days. The surface water is always warmest, and warm water builds along the downwind shoreline, which can be the best choice for fishing today even if it’s not the best looking area in the lake, structurewise. Also, shallow rocks pick up heat from the sun and heat the surrounding water, attracting baitfish and walleyes alike.

“Northland has a new series of Rattlin’ Fire-Ball Jigs for 2003, featuring a brass rattle molded into the head to create sound and vibration, which is extremely effective in luring fish in turbid water at river mouths, and especially on hard bottom where sound resonates off the rocks.

Riggin’—Three-time PWT winner Perry Good is legendary for his livebait rigging skills. “Day in and day out, when it comes to triggering lethargic walleyes in cold water, it’s tough to beat a livebait rig with a lively minnow. Rigs let you move slowly along, hovering where your electronics tell you fish are present, to tease walleyes into biting. A lip-hooked minnow quivering in a walleye’s face is too tempting to ignore.

“The first drop-off outside shallow spawning areas is always a good starting point for walleyes before, during, and immediately after the spawn. With weedcover sparse, walleyes may simply relate to the depth change . . . or to a comfortable depth level based on water clarity . . . or to a change in bottom content . . . or yes, even to some patchy weeds like sparse sandgrass. Every lake is different, and you need to determine what’s holding the fish, where, and how deep.

“At times, you can even move up onto the intervening flat between the shoreline rocks and first drop-off, longline a lightweight livebait rig while drifting or creeping along with your electric trolling motor, and find areas with spooky walleyes holding in relatively shallow water. It depends if the cover is sparse enough, or the snags manageable in number. Rigging lets you cover water a bit quicker than casting, but you always have the option to stop and cast if the fish appear concentrated, or if they seem to be spooked by the boat’s passage.”

Crankin’ at night—Two-time PWT winner Mark Martin is perhaps best known for his nighttime guiding exploits and the inordinate number of huge walleyes he and his clients catch after dark. “I’ve caught a lot of big walleyes over the years, day and night, but the percentage is way, way in favor of night fishing. At my seminars, I tell people that if they’re going to invest six hours fishing, do it at night, and chances are you’ll soon catch the biggest walleye of your life.

“I like to longline troll crankbaits at night to locate areas that hold walleyes, using an electric trolling motor for stealth, rather than spooking the fish with an outboard. Once you locate a good area, you have the option to stop and cast. Depending on how deep it is, I use anything from a #13 Rapala Floater, to a Husky Jerk, to a Shad Rap, but much of the time, I’m fishing so shallow at night—like 3 feet—that a floater cast on 6-pound FireLine will reach deep enough to catch fish. A deeper diver, in fact, will snag up too often.

“Use a dying flutter-type retrieve—reel, pull, pause; reel, pull, pause. The pauses don’t have to be long; just long enough to interrupt lure action to make your bait look vulnerable.

“I’m a big believer in doctoring my crankbaits to enhance their effectiveness; I add Dr. Juice Scent whenever I fish crankbaits, for example. But for night fishing, I always catch more fish by adding WTP tape to my lures. I place a ring of glow tape around the eye and the tail, then a little prism tape on each side to imitate the lateral line. It makes an amazing difference. Put the lure down a couple feet, even in dirty water, and you’ll notice those tiny bits of color or flash. Walleyes notice it, too. You don’t need to charge the tape with a flashlight every few casts, either. Just the subtle bit of light emitted by the tape is sufficient.

“Night fishing is great around spawning time, when fish may lay low during the day but be particularly active in the shallows at night. And the nice thing is, they’re often clustered in limited spots. Perfect conditions for catching numbers of large ‘eyes on cranks after dark. I’m not big on fishing full moon nights in clear water conditions unless there’s a little wind or cloud cover to reduce the brightness. But if the water has a little color to it and the moon is bright, hang on tight.”

Where will you be on opening day, and what’ll be your best pitch? Depends on where the fish are and what they’re hittin’. If a sinker (riggin’) isn’t workin’, try a changeup; a slider (jig) or fastball (crankbait) just might do the trick.