In fall, walleyes make the move upstream. Once they reach a dam or barrier, they fall back into portions of the river immediately downstream where current is reduced. Dams are an obvious barrier, but neck-downs, rapids, riffles, and waterfalls also serve as barriers or staging spots. Walleyes stage in these spots and the population continues to build throughout winter—until the fish start migrating back downstream after they spawn.

As spring approaches, warmer temperatures trigger initial snowmelt. Run-off, spring rains, and an influx of water from the surrounding watershed increases water levels in rivers. Water temperature also begins to rise (most river walleyes spawn in water temperatures of about 40°F to 46°F), triggering prespawn walleyes to start moving even farther upstream toward specific spawning locations.

River walleyes seek out classic spawning locations—hard bottom rock-rubble or riprap areas swept by current, mussel beds mixed with gravel, or small tributary creeks with gravel washout bottoms. Riprap shorelines swept by current also provide good spawning habitat adjoining current breaks where walleyes ambush prey. Causeways, roads, and railroad crossings, housing developments, and boat harbors layered with large rock to protect the shoreline from erosion all break current flow and attract walleyes and baitfish.

During years of high flow, walleyes may even spawn on flooded shoreline vegetation. According to walleye pro Daryl Christensen, “Spawning dictates walleye location, and when the water temperature approaches 40°F, walleyes instinctively move upstream, keying on shallow locations to spawn. Even years where the water flow isn’t significant, walleyes still move shallow to spawn.”

Males generally arrive at spawning sites about a week or two before females and remain about two weeks longer. Female walleyes, however, may seek out warmer water during the prespawn period to help their eggs mature, often staying in nearby warmer backwaters until their eggs ripen, then moving to spawning grounds where male walleyes are waiting. Once the water temperature is right, spawning begins and usually lasts for 14 to 20 days.

Flow Factors

During low flow, barriers in main current attract walleyes—points, wing dams, bridges, and deep holes that break current. Wing dams, for instance, are designed to prevent erosion by deflecting current back into midriver. Fish don’t just use the deep hole formed at the tip of wingdams. Active fish can be found in the “bulge” area of calm water formed on the front face where the current deflects over wing dams. Resting walleyes lie in the eddy formed on the downstream side to get out of current, but they’re often still willing to eat a passing meal.

Bends in the river also create holes and deeper pools that may hold fish. At river bends, the natural force of water cuts deep holes along the outside edges of river bends. Look for bends with deep water. Sharper bends generally create deeper holes. Bars extending into holes likely will concentrate fish, as will rocks and rockpiles along the edges of holes.

Again, increasingly warm temperatures trigger snowmelt, runoff, and spring rains, which increase water levels and current velocity. As the flow starts to increase, walleyes tend to reposition along the new boundaries of calm water meeting current. Eventually, significant flow forces walleyes to abandon midstream spots and move toward shorelines and backwater bays.

“Although not all rivers are created equal, in spring, walleyes tend to behave similarly,” Christensen says. “When water flow is high, they tend to move out of their deeper haunts into shallow water; sometimes they’re right next to shore in less than a foot of water. There’s less current there, and current breaks form, so that’s where walleyes spawn,” Christensen explains. “Baitfish also school in the shallows, with walleyes up feeding on them. Walleyes can be so tight to the bank that using a boat may make the best presentations difficult. In fact, under these conditions, I often leave the boat at home and wade. I’ve caught lots of walleye while wading by pitching jigs parallel to shore where walleyes are stacked in a foot or two of water.”

Jigs In Rivers

Jig-and-minnow combos are perhaps the most popular baits used to fish current seams, allowing you to alternately position the bait on or near bottom, yet use the current to position the jig in front of walleyes. Pitching lighter jigs works for walleyes in the shallows, while heavier jigs work better for vertical jigging in deeper water and swift current.

Places where current meets calm water form fish-attracting edges—ideal spots to work jigs. Visible current breaks along the surface of the river, for instance, indicate possible subsurface current seams where walleyes may be holding, waiting to ambush prey. Either hover or slowly slip downstream with your trolling motor, or anchor and cast a jig toward the target area.

“When pitching current breaks in the main flow, one of the best forms of boat control is anchoring. Anchoring allows you to hold in the current while making accurate casts to work the jig at a desired speed down along the current break. After anchoring, simply quarter your cast upstream and slowly work the jig downstream. A lift-and-drop technique allows your bait to be anchored to bottom by the jig at rest, yet move with the current on the lift of the rod tip, toward walleyes facing the current.

“For pitching, I like to use lighter jigs, like 1/8 ounce. You could use a lighter 1/16-ounce jig, but the extra weight of a 1/8-ounce jig helps you feel the jig and anchors the bait better in current. I’m also a big believer in using bigger shiners or minnows while jigging for river walleyes, like a larger 4-inch shiner. In most waters during spring, the baitfish population is fairly low after the long winter, and most walleyes attack baits fairly aggressively. Bigger minnows attract walleyes better,” he explains, “and most walleyes 15 inches or bigger really don’t have a hard time inhaling a 4-inch shiner on a 1/8-ounce jig.”

Retrieve the jig with subtle lift-drops of the rod tip, slightly on and off bottom, letting current sweep it along the current break. “Anytime you can work your bait more aggressively and still get bites, it’s a better option simply because it transmits more vibration and flash, which attracts more fish compared to slowly working a jig. A lift, drop, and a one- or two-second pause is about the right cadence in most situations. Again, even though the water is cold, walleyes can be aggressive,” he claims, “so don’t hesitate to use bigger baits and work them fairly aggressively to attract and trigger strikes.”

In larger rivers with lots of flooded cover, temporarily flooded standing trees, deadfalls, inundated brush, and backwater bays are potential places to find walleyes, actually reacting more like bass than like walleyes. Prespawn and postspawn walleyes use these flooded areas as resting places away from the current. Snagging and losing jigs in woodcover causes a reluctance to fish tight to flooded wood, but it’s often where walleyes are found during high water.

Control drifting jigs along the outer edges of flooded brush or trees or even pitching weedless jigs up into open lanes in the flooded forest can be extremely productive when traditional tactics fail. “One of the best ways to catch walleyes in flooded cover is to fish them much as you would crappies or bass. Pitching light jigs with minnows works great, especially when the water is stained but not dirty. In dirty water, position your boat right in the flooded trees and use your rod tip to lower your jig right next to the trees—noodling walleyes just as you would crappies. If the water stays high, postspawn males remain shallow and won’t vacate the area until the water drops, or until after baitfish finish spawning, ”Christensen says.

Vertical jigging is another option in rivers, especially when you locate walleyes holding in a specific area. According to Christensen, “The key is staying vertical. The better control you have, the better your chances of feeling a fish take the bait. Depending on current and water depth, I use 1/4- to 3/8-ounce jigs. Vertical jigging in deeper water, for instance, requires heavier jigs, whereas you might be able to use a lighter jig in shallower water because of less water pressure on the line.

“It’s much more important to stay as vertical as possible rather than worrying about using too heavy a jig. A jig that’s too light just doesn’t work, especially in stronger current or deeper water. As far as the fish are concerned, jig weight isn’t a big issue when vertical jigging because when a walleye strikes, it often inhales the entire bait. And if you’re vertical, you’ll feel the strike and know when to set the hook.”

Cranking In Rivers

A growing number of anglers are trolling crankbaits in cold water for walleyes, possibly even bigger walleyes. “Trolling crankbaits in rivers works great for walleyes year-round,” says walleye pro Ross Grothe. “Even in cold water. Rather than trying to target neutral or negative walleyes with finesse tactics, I target aggressive walleyes. Trolling crankbaits allows for covering lots of water to contact active fish. In rivers, for instance, it’s almost inevitable that if I can get my crankbaits in front of more fish, eventually I’m going to contact an aggressive walleye willing to take the crankbait.”

The key to river trolling is positioning crankbaits at the right speed in the right spot. River stretches with fewer snags and a relatively consistent depth are easiest to troll and are common habitat for walleyes in spring. Ideally, long, deep runs with a fairly constant depth make for long, effective trolling passes. Bottom-tapping with deep-divers is the most consistent crankbait approach in early spring, especially in rivers. “River walleyes relate to bottom most of the time,” Grothe explains, “so that’s where you need to position your crankbait. I prefer crankbaits with a tighter action, like Rapala ShadRaps or Reef Runner RipShads, that dive deep enough to get my bait right near bottom. Yet when I troll slowly, the bait still has great action.”

Contour trolling along breaks positions the bait right in front of the fish. “In the main river channel or in deeper holes, walleyes may stage in deeper-water during the day, moving up into adjacent shallow water in low light and at night. Trolling crankbaits through deeper holes and along breaks definitely is productive, especially where walleyes stage deep during the day.

“In backwater areas, try trolling necked-down areas under bridges or along flooded treelines near the channel. Secondary river channels or breaks are great spots, too. I look for fairly clean bottoms, which are easier to troll; too much debris results in too much snagging,” Grothe says.

Some of the most popular river crankbaits for springtime trolling are slender with a deep-diving bill, which are considered to have a rapid, tight action. Some have a shad shape, such as the Rapala Shad Rap, while others have a long, thin, minnow body, like the Reef Runner Deep Lil’ Ripper. Long, slender lures that work best for river walleyes include Rapala Shad Raps, Tail Dancers, and Down Deep Husky Jerks; and Storm Deep ThunderStick Juniors.

Trolling speed is easily mastered. Troll downriver just faster than the current—barely fast enough to keep the lure working. Going upriver, move fast enough to make progress upstream, but don’t retain a steady pace. The most important aspect of speed is variance. Keep the lure moving at a variety of speeds by turning the boat and playing with the throttle. Pauses are crucial some days. Pay close attention to what the boat is doing when fish strike and continue to duplicate that maneuver whenever possible.

“Slowly trolling upstream puts water pressure on a crankbait, so you can troll slowly and still get baits to wobble. Once you find a spot that seems to concentrate fish, hover the baits by maintaining boat speed at the same speed as the current. Slowly s-turn the motor of the boat to work the baits up and down the break in order to contact fish holding at different depths,” Grothe says.

Good trolling rods in the 8- to 81⁄2-foot range feature a fairly soft tip and a solid backbone. The soft tip absorbs the shock of hard-striking fish and line that doesn’t stretch. It’s helpful to know how far the lure is behind the boat—but being exact isn’t necessary. Again, river walleyes generally are bottom-orientated. Just hitting bottom occasionally assures you’re putting your bait in front of the majority of the fish. In general, larger deep-diving lures begin hitting bottom in 17 to 20 feet of water with about 70 to 80 feet of line out. Smaller versions of those lures reach those depths with about 110 to 150 feet of line out.

Tracking walleyes as they make seasonal movements from deeper holes to the shallows, and possibly back deep again, is heavily influenced by the spawn and river flow. Study flow conditions and look for walleyes along current breaks and seams, knowing that walleyes often move shallow as the river flow increases and as they prepare to spawn. Whether you decide to troll or jig, or a little bit of both, river walleyes in spring generally are active and ready to take your bait if you can figure out a way to put it in front of them.