When do walleye move into the spawning grounds?

[billy weaver]

We have been fishing a Canadian Lake on the 5th week of the season for many, many years. When there is a late spring with normal to high water levels we catch a lot of bigger walleye in a small boat in lake attached to the main lake. The lake is listed as a fish sanctuary until June 15/16/. The lake is a shallow with 10ft max. As soon as the water temp. reaches 70 degrees they move out. My question is when do they move back in. On the Mississippi River where we live the walleye start moving in the late fall with most caught just below the dams. I wonder if this small lake would be good in the late fall (late Sept, early Oct.) We release all fish over 18 " but would like to get a fish near 30" as it has been a few years.

Billy

[Freytown]

Well, I think all lakes play by their own rules. But normally fish will move toward the spawning grounds in early winter but I don't believe they enter them until their ready to spawn.


On a small system, the fish will be where ever there is food. I don't think that because it's a spawning area means anything if they're there feeding. IMHO FT

[eyecatcher1]

Originally Posted by billy weaver

We have been fishing a Canadian Lake on the 5th week of the season for many, many years. When there is a late spring with normal to high water levels we catch a lot of bigger walleye in a small boat in lake attached to the main lake. The lake is listed as a fish sanctuary until June 15/16/. The lake is a shallow with 10ft max. As soon as the water temp. reaches 70 degrees they move out. My question is when do they move back in. On the Mississippi River where we live the walleye start moving in the late fall with most caught just below the dams. I wonder if this small lake would be good in the late fall (late Sept, early Oct.) We release all fish over 18 " but would like to get a fish near 30" as it has been a few years.

Billy

There's a good shot at a 30" on the Rainy River from now until it ices up.

[Aspencreek]

Walleyes are putting on the feed bag now until Iced over and will sit in areas where feeding is good all winter. When the water warms in the spring they will move to the spawning areas when the water temps hit a certain level. What that triggering temp may be is debated and somewhat subjective depending upon the body of water. After spawning they will return back to the spring and summer haunts and do it all over again. That's why it changes every year, it depends on water temps, which rely on rainfall, spring temps, late snowfalls, and anything else that makes water temps go up and down, it has nothing to do with the calendar.
So to answer your question, your little lake is probably not a good spot until spring, unless it has a great food source.
We had a trip several years ago the first full week in July to LS. Main lake water temps were under 65F and to catch fish all week we had to search out warmer water. Most of our normal spots for that time of year were busts, but when we found 69-72F water we were in them, just had to find the right combination.

[billy weaver]

Thanks for the info

[prov1800]

On the lakes I fish in the Vermilion Bay area the walleyes stay deep on the reefs all the way through ice fishing.then around March the will venture in or near the spawning beds.They basically will come in the evenings under the ice in the 10 ft in those areas and move back out deeper during the day.The fish sanctuaries close now in mid March as to protect those fish cròm getting caught as it's super easy to get them and you can get a lot of people in those spots.But the mid lake humps are also still very good at the same time.Walleyes really tend to spawn in temps between 48-54f.They can be caught in a lot of diff places not just where the sanctuaries are.A lot spawn on shoreline rubble.

[billy weaver]

Originally Posted by prov1800

On the lakes I fish in the Vermilion Bay area the walleyes stay deep on the reefs all the way through ice fishing.then around March the will venture in or near the spawning beds.They basically will come in the evenings under the ice in the 10 ft in those areas and move back out deeper during the day.The fish sanctuaries close now in mid March as to protect those fish cròm getting caught as it's super easy to get them and you can get a lot of people in those spots.But the mid lake humps are also still very good at the same time.Walleyes really tend to spawn in temps between 48-54f.They can be caught in a lot of diff places not just where the sanctuaries are.A lot spawn on shoreline rubble.

I am sure your right, I always wish for a cool spring so they are still in the spawning area. After June 15, 60 to 62 degrees is about the coolest I have found in this little, shallow lake that warms fast. We only try for a trophy in this lake (usually). None over 18 in 2018 (Too warm), in 2019 cooler water and higher level we caught quite a few over 20 with 29 1/2 the largest. I know there are big fish scattered all over the main lake but seem to concentrated in this small lake for a short period of time in the spring. (very small window). I was wondering about a window in the fall.

Thanks for the info

[prov1800]

In the fall as water cools and the lake flips over all the spawning areas at around 50-55f fish seem to go back in like a false spawn till water cools again and then they go back deep for the winter.