The great lake Erie migration.

[Ginamaria]

Many years ago I got me one of them there biology degrees. Things like the yearly migration of walleye across lake Erie fascinate me. I have read a lot of "snippets" about it. But I don't feel I truely understand it. What starts the migration? If they are chasing forage What species of forage? Does the forage migrate or are the walleye really just spreading out to find randomly distributed forage. Do they travel in huge schools of thousands or small pods of a dozen or so. Do they travel straight down the deep basin or do they follow a depth countour east then spread out? How fast do they move on this migration?
Finding the answer to these questions probably won't put anymore fish in my boat but It's been bugging me.
Whats your understanding of this phenomenon.

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[ETT]

The migration, is a result of the historic spawning grounds being in the western basin. This gives a magority of the fish in the lake the reason to want to be near the reef complex, in the spring. Most of the walleyes react to a false spawning urge in the fall, and that's what positions so many off Huron. They stay there and use that area every year because of the available forage. They move on over closer to the reefs in the winter and that is why the islands area can produce such good ice fishing. Then they spawn on the reefs and it seems the larger the fish, the sooner it heads back east. The east fish are predominately smelt eatters, and follow that prey item back to the deeper water. Migration routes, I believe are more a matter of predominate currents than anything else.

There you have what I think. Nothing particularly scientific. Just common reasonimg for the whole migration thing.

Disagree??? That's fine, let's hear your opinion.

[s.f.]

Jim,

That all makes sense to me. I especially agree with the currents
directing traffic as they move east. Of course, what do I know with only a few weeks of tourney fishing under my belt over there, the past 12 years. lol...but i DID pay close attention to the current aspect. I even spent a day plotting the movement of muddied water from the Islands to Cleveland, from the air. Then did it again 2 days later. I learned alot and have seen the fishy affects.
I Look forward to seeing you again, Jim. We outta towners always lose sleep over you and the boys when we're over there.lol

Steve Fellegy

[Gilligan]

No biologist here but as an east basin (Barcelona/Dunkirk NY) angler I'll kick in my $.02 worth.

There seem to be two different groups of walleye in our waters. The migratory Ohio fish (we have caught them with tags from the Sandusky River) which show up from Memorial Day to late June and return in late August to late October. We also have many local fish which will spawn in several areas between Dunkirk and Barcelona.

These fish seem to be much more structure/bottom oriented than the Ohio fish. They also seem much closer to shore. Quite often the migratory fish come across on the Canadian side into the waters off Dunkirk IF they don't meet up with gill nets first. I don't have the NY DEC website available but Don Einhouse the resident biologist out of Dunkirk NY would probably pass along some good information if you would track him down.

[ETT]

Just my opinion Steve, you know what they say about opinions.

I especially agree with one thing you said too, (the LOL part).

I hope to see you in the spring. Have a safe trip over.