spawning habitat

[WAeyes]

Can walleyes spawn successfully in sand? The reservoir I fish is a difficult body of water to figure out during the spawning season. From mid march to mid may what few reports of walleyes caught are in a flooded sand dune inlet area which to the best of my knowledge is entirely a sand bottom with flooded willows. There are other feeder streams, but they are not prime gravel bottoms either. I have no proof that there is any natural reproduction in this lake, but there is no stocking either. So how do they get in here? Another lake above this one has a spillway which fills this sand dune area of tha first lake. Some guys say that the walleyes will swim up into the white water and go through the spillway into the upper lake to spawn. I find that hard to believe, sounds like salmon behavior, not walleye. My theory is that there is no natural reproduction in the lower lake. The resident fish in the upper lake do successfully reproduce, so I think alot of the fry and smaller fish end up going DOWN through the spillway into the lower reservoir, keeping it supplied with walleye. Any biology professors out there to help me figure this out? Any input is appreciated. If I have confused anyone, let me know. Thanks

[Starfish]

If you're talking about Potholes Reservoir, I think there's some spawning gravel up Lind Coulee-- about now (usually... this year I guess we need an icebreaker) you can run up there and find bazillions of fish, though mostly small. (Definitely too many small ones to let me believe they're not reproducing... we caught and released many dozens of young-of-the year there this winter while perch fishing through the ice). Also I think they're spawning up Frenchman and Winchester Wasteways. We accidentally caught some nice post-spawners there while trout trolling last spring. My most repeatable trick for bigger fish in Feb.-April is deep jigging off Goose Island; I think there's a fairly steady stream of fish that stage there before and after spawning.

[WAeyes]

Hey Starfish, it is nice to hear from someone who knows this body of water and how the walleyes relate to different areas. Where are you finding gravel up Lind Coulee? I know there is some directly across from the Soda Lake spillway but I would imagine you are talking about further up. Are you east of Hwy 262 bridge? I only see mud around there. According to the folks at Mardon, all I ever hear about walleye reports are in Crab Creek up in the sand dunes, near the power lines for early spring action. I think that is all sand bottom isn't it? It is great to hear you are seeing many young of the year fish. I was seriously doubting that they were reproducing because I have never seen any of these little fish. Did you catch those little ones near the island in Lind Coulee? I do well at the mouths of Frenchmans and Lind Coulee in the fall during low water levels but never in the high water of spring. How far up Frenchmans did you catch those post-spawners, past the state park camp ground?

[Starfish]

Both through the ice and in the spring we usually get an annoying number of undersize walleyes near the island in Lind Coulee, which is where I mentioned gravel. I guess you're right...it's really more just coarse sand than gravel; but apparently it's good enough for the fish! On your left as you're heading up the coulee (away from the main lake, not too long before you get to the bridge) look for a series of points with steep black sand beaches between each. There are schools of perch and eyes there all through spring. The points are dropoffs from 20-40 feet.

At Frenchman, we mostly fished for trout (you MUST try this-- they're running 15-20+ inches) near the state park. But we occasionally ran up the wasteway, or up into the dunes around Winchester wasteway. If we used a flasher/fly we would get trout, if we used a double whammy/nightcrawler we would also get an occasional keeper eye. I kept expecting to hit eyes while pulling Hot Lips, but all we got was trout.

I haven't tried Potholes with the boat yet this year, may hit it tomorrow. Good luck!

[Starfish]

I should probably also throw in a caveat-- don't think I'm an expert on Potholes! I went there a lot last year because my kids loved the trout fishing, and we've usually gotten a few eyes whenever I've gone for the past few years, but I really haven't spend enough time there to count myself as very knowledgeable.

[WAeyes]

Never the less it is nice to hear that someone has some information on where the walleyes might be in early spring. I know about the black cliffs and beaches you are talking about in Lind Coulee, that is sand also. Just towards the main lake from there is an old gravel pit which could be a spawning area but it does not have the current necessary I don't think and once again no reports of catches there. I still think that the majority of the walleyes spawn up in the sand bottomed feeder Crab Creek. This is where the majority of the walleyes originally got into this water. Anybody else out there have any opinions on whether walleyes will spawn in a sand bottomed feeder stream if it is the source of how they originally inhabited a body of water. If they are spawning on the sand bottom, how successful is this for reproduction?

[WAeyes]

Anyone else have any input on whether walleyes can spawn successfully in sand bottom with current?

[Backwater Eddy]

If there is a moss covering on the clay or sand they will try to spawn there.

Grass or brush will do for others who have no suitable areas to spawn in. Walleye can be like pike and head for grass if there are no other options available.

Scoria or clay will do too if it has a rough texture for the eggs to adhere to.

Walleye will try to spawn in odd areas, but if may not work well, but the will try.

Backwater Eddy

[WAeyes]

Thanks for the input Eddy. Do you or anyone else know where I can get some more detailed information on walleye spawning? Maybe MN DNR or another state?

[wawalleye]

WAeyes,

Nice to here from a couple of fellows who fish potholes. In the early spring we have found large # of fish in the flooded brush and bullrushes in the upper crab creek channel. Hard to catch because its awfully thick, but they're in there. The bass fishermen catch them flipping tubes into the brush when they're bass fishing. Whether they are spawning in the brush or not I'm not sure, but I think backwater is right. They follow the current up the channel and since the only strata is flooded brush and grass, that's where they spawn.

[Backwater Eddy]

Walleye take what they get!

Try jigs like the Lindy LTL Joe snag guard set ups tipped with a huge minnow. Flip it into the brush or work it past it slow. Slip bobbers also work well in these tight trashy areas.

Phelps has came out with a new Weedless SPOSGY BUG floater jig that I plan on useing in heavy brush in creek arms. Maybe rig with a bullet weight or split shot? I think the smaller bullet weights are a better choice. With a floater you can flip and let it sit enticing them brush piggy's out to play.

(Ah man, I am getting spring fever again talking about this!)

You would be amazed at how far up in the creeks and brush they will go! I have even used 11' Euro boron cat rods to jig walleye from shallow brush like a crappie stick, and pulled huge walleye from the thickest mess around. They like that stuff if the temp is right!

Backwater Eddy

[Backwater Eddy]

WAeyes the U of MN has a lot of research on walleye and habitat. That may be a good place to find some research papers on line to get hard facts on the sand question.

Backwater Eddy

[WAeyes]

Thanks, I'll try that.