Principal locations on lakes include:

• Main lake bars reaching into or near the deepest water in the lake. Look for structural diversity, combinations of rocks and weeds, large, shallow forage shelves, and key pivot points that focus walleye activity.

• Secondary bars and points. Less-pronounced hard-bottomed bars and fingers connected to shorelines in the main lake can be primary fish-holding structures.

• Current areas. Feeder creeks, especially early and late in the ice season, typically draw walleyes.

• Main lake humps. Sunken islands rising out of the main basin and topping out between 10 and 40 feet below the ice become prime secondary locations when points, bars, and current areas become pressured.

• Fertile bays or “lakes within lakes.” Bays—overlooked spots on most lakes—can provide steady action when classic main lake structure is heavily pressured.

Prominent bars key walleye location, although other structural elements also draw fish and may be better during certain portions of the ice fishing season. It’s tough to beat a main lake bar like Bar D, however, for gathering and holding walleyes all season.

Feeder Creek A—A possible hot spot at early-ice and late-ice because current often draws bait, which in turn draws walleyes. At late-ice, current attracts walleyes best when it flows over hard bottom. Here, the creek and the portion of the adjacent bar appear to be walleye spawning sites.

Bay B—Not a traditional walleye spot, but when deeper water leads into a bay with firm bottom and a distinct weededge, walleyes are likely to be present. Walleyes scatter along the weededge. Look for pockets and points that tend to concentrate fish. Weededges in bays can offer surprisingly good fishing. We suggest concentrating here only when fishing on main lake bars tails off during midseason.

Bars C, D, and E—Each of these bars attract walleyes because they (1) offer large forage-holding shallow shelves; (2) protrude into the main body of water and drop into the lake basin; and (3) provide a variety of habitat in shallow and deep water. Bar D, however, is the closest to the perfect all-season area for walleyes. The deep, sunken islands adjacent to the tip of the bar add potential to the area. But the key difference is that deeper water butts against the distinct edge of the bar. Bar C and especially Bar E have more gradual, less distinct drop-offs.

Bar C—The principal fishing spots include the edges of the rockbars that fall into deep water. Fish shallow or deep at early-ice, but concentrate deep as the season progresses. Also try the outside edge of the weedgrowth, especially where it meets the distinct rock edge in the middle of the bar.

Bar D—A perfect bar, although the two sunken islands make deciding exactly where to fish in deep water somewhat more difficult. No matter, this spot is likely to hold so many walleyes that you’ll catch some whether you concentrate on the tip of the point or the edge of the sunken islands. Don’t forget the outside edge of the deepest weeds on top of the food shelf.

Bar E—Walleyes will use this bar all season. Skip this bar in favor of Bar D, however, until Bar D is pressured.

Bay F—Consider Bay F a lake within a lake. The only prominent area is the point-saddle-sunken hump area; therefore, walleyes will be there. The outside edge of the deep weed point, the saddle area, and the portion of the sunken hump near the 40-foot hole are primary spots.

By the way, the weededge on the north bank doesn’t look like much and perhaps it isn’t, but when the fishing gets tough during midseason, the inside turn may produce a walleye or two that haven’t seen a lure all season.

Sunken Islands G and H—Walleyes will be there, but probably not in the quantity holding on prominent bars. When the fishing gets tough on the bars, however, fish these islands. Both islands would be better spots, though, if they offered more distinct drop-off areas to concentrate walleyes.