Walleye Fishing in Minnesota
For many fishermen in Minnesota, walleye fishing is the only game in town. Walleyes are the state fish of Minnesota and many anglers pursue them because of the fine table fare they provide. Walleyes can be found in many of the state's more than 10,000 lakes, whether in large basins like lakes Mille Lacs or Upper Red or in smaller lakes that few people know about.
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Location
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As in real estate, location is the key to walleye fishing. Anglers should consider the seasonal movements that walleyes make. They spawn over shallow, rocky areas, and when it's available, will seek to spawn in moving water. Walleyes begin spawning when the water temperature is in the high 40s, and they remain on their spawning grounds until the water warms to about 55 degrees. As the sun becomes more intense and the water continues to warm, walleyes move to deeper water. They spend the majority of their time near dropoffs, the edges of weed beds, and on the tops and edges of humps and reefs.
Live Bait
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No matter where walleyes are located, there must be food nearby. Walleyes in Minnesota often feed on small fish like perch, sunfish, and a variety of minnow species. Anglers can find such forage items and not find walleyes, but they won't find walleyes in areas where there isn't any food. Live bait is the most popular method for catching walleyes, and Minnesota anglers employ minnows, leeches, and nightcrawlers most often. The three most common was to present live bait are on a live-bait rig, beneath a bobber, or threaded on a lead-head jig. When anglers refer to live-bait rigs, they are referring to a Lindy Rig, which is synonymous with walleye fishing in Minnesota. The rig consists, in order, of a sliding sinker, swivel, leader (36 to 48 inches is most common), and a hook baited with a minnow, leech, or nightcrawler. The rig can be trolled or drifted along the bottom and is good for locating schools of walleyes.
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Jigs
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Jigs are the most versatile bait there is for catching walleyes. Many anglers thread a piece of live bait on the jig, while others prefer to use a plastic grub as a trailer. Jigs are available in many sized and can be fished in any water depth. The general rule of thumb for walleye fishing is to use only as heavy a jig as is necessary to maintain contact with the bottom. Jigs are a good lure to use to catch walleyes from a precise spot. Oftentimes, anglers will use a live-bait rig to locate a school of walleyes, and then tie on a jig to target the fish within that school. The anglers will keep their boat over the top of the school and drop the jig into the group of walleyes. Known as vertical jigging, anglers should try to elicit a strike by jigging the lure up and down in the faces of the walleyes. Another good method for catching walleyes on jigs is to cast them to, and retrieve them along, the edges of weedlines.
Start Early or Stay Late
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Walleyes are notoriously sensitive to light. As a result, they will spend sunny days tight to the bottom, not feeding much. But under low-light conditions, the walleyes flip a switch and begin feeding heavily. Especially after dark, walleyes will move into shallow water to feed on minnows and other small fish. The most likely areas are rock or weed flats that are adjacent to deep water where walleyes spend their days. If you fish these shallow areas without success, move to the areas you would fish during the day, like drop-offs, weed edges, and humps. It is possible the fish are feeding actively, but just didn't move to shallow water. Trolling crankbaits is one of the best ways to find and hook walleyes when it is dark out. Let out 50 feet of line or more and troll slowly over likely spots. If the walleyes seemed to be group up, casting a crankbait or jig to the specific area might be a better option.
Lakes
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There are an abundance of walleye lakes in Minnesota. To determine what lakes have good populations of walleyes, check out the Lake Finder section of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources website. Some of the most well-known and productive walleye lakes are Lake of the Woods, Leech, Mille Lacs, Vermilion, Winnibigoshish and Upper Red.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit walleye image by Elena Vdovina from Fotolia.com
