Year of the Walleye

Ah, if only the rest of the fishing season were as predictable as the spring fling into the shallows! Unfortunately, it isn’t. The good news, however, is that regardless of lake, river, or reservoir type, walleyes react somewhat predictably on an annual cycle. They take best advantage of spring spawning areas; diverse summer habitat with food and cover opportunities; fall transition zones for feeding and security as they drop deeper when water cools; and finally, wintering areas, during the period of reduced activity, when they continue to feed at a lesser pace.

While we just described four seasons as viewed and interpreted through man’s eyes, walleyes and other fish react to seasonal changes on a different basis. The In-Fisherman Calendar describes their behavior during 10 identifiable periods of activity. Some periods may last less than a week; others several months. The timing and length of each period depends on latitude, region, lake type, and local weather.

Even in the same body of water, periods can vary, occur at different times in successive years, and last for different lengths of time. Prespawn may last 20 days one year and only 10 days the next. In one location, Spawning Period may occur in mid-April one year and as much as three weeks earlier or later the next, according to variations in prevailing weather. Even in years of extreme environmental fluctuation, however, nature seems to moderate the effects of unusual weather. For example, walleyes spawn not only at a particular water temperature, but also at a particular photoperiod (duration of daylight) that remains pretty consistent from year to year. Thus a combination of moderating factors—not just a single one like water temperature—determines walleyes’ seasonal responses throughout the year.

Seldom are there distinct, instantaneous jumps from one Calendar Period to the next. Instead, each period blends into the following one. Transition phases can be difficult to distinguish, but they affect fishing location and methods because walleyes are often moving between sections of the lake, from one depth level to another, between different types of cover or bottom content—or all of the above.

The arrival, length, and duration of Calendar Periods also vary by regions of the country. Southern waters have an extended Summer Period and a brief Winter Period. In contrast, lakes along the U.S.-Canadian border have extended Coldwater and Winter periods. Walleyes in Alabama or Texas can be in the Spawning Period while those in Minnesota are still in the Winter Period. Similarly, walleyes in cool, high-elevation waters of the mountainous western states tend to experience Calendar Periods differently from fish in lower elevation waters on the warmer prairies, even though they live at the same latitude. The key is that walleyes everywhere experience the same sequence of seasonal changes, although periods may be of different duration.

Thus it’s important to understand the sequence and dynamics of the walleye’s seasonal calendar before you can predict seasonal location and behavior. This topic is the focus of Chapter 2 in (Book 1) Walleye Fundamentals—Foundations for Sustained Fishing Success. Consult that chapter for a more thorough review of the critical background material mentioned here.