Narrows -- Narrows between lake sections may or may not have consistent current due to the flow of a river or creek through the system. If it's consistent, expect some fish to be in the area nearly all the time. All else being equal, the downstream exit from the narrows tends to be best, often in the shallows at night.
Nearly any narrows is subject to fluctuating short-term current due to changes in wind speed and direction. Strong winds from one direction push water through the narrows, and the larger the lake, the more current generated. As the wind subsides, the flow begins to surge back in the opposite direction. Wind-generated current can even override and reverse natural current flow. The point is, narrows are focal points for current flow. Take advantage of them.
Windy shorelines -- Wind pounding into any shoreline creates an intermittent current that may last for hours or days before subsiding, turning a fishless spot into a bonanza as active walleyes penetrate the shallows to feed along the shoreline. In general, shorelines that plunge to several feet provide a vertical edge, against which walleyes can trap baitfish. Tapering shorelines are far less attractive, even in wind, because baitfish can escape into water shallower than where walleyes can effectively pursue them. The best shorelines tend to have deep-water access nearby.
Windy points and reefs -- Like shorelines, points and reefs exposed to the wind become excellent feeding locations. With points and reefs, however, wind and current build against the upwind side and surge over the top of the shallow crest. Often, the upwind edge or tip tends to attract the most active walleyes. Under strong wind conditions, darkness, clouds, or rain, walleyes may penetrate up into just a few feet of water, actively feeding among boulders, reeds, cane, or other cover. As the wind subsides, they disperse back into the adjacent depths.
Rivers -- Long periods of consistent flow create areas where distinct current breaks form as moving water is deflected by an object, whether a point, wing dam, bridge piling, riprap, rock pile, island -- whatever. Active walleyes lie along the edge of the current; inactive walleyes lie farther away. All else being equal, the upstream edges of such spots often attract the most active fish. Walleyes may be active in such spots in deeper water during the day, shallower at night.
Consistent flow conditions trigger dependable depth patterns and timing of fish activity. A sudden rise in water level and increase in flow, however, changes everything. Fish shift around to reposition along the edges of new current breaks as edges reform in the rising tide. Walleyes often forage shallower in rising water. At the opposite extreme, during a dry spell, walleyes reposition to other spots, often deeper, where subtle current breaks form again under the new conditions.
Dams -- Dams feature all ranges of current flow, from extreme to subtle, and some walleyes always are nearby. During the cold water of fall, winter, and spring, however, instinct urges walleyes to move many miles upriver, where dams stop their progress and they form large concentrations. Water level and velocity determine exact fish position. With high, fast water, walleyes tend to move closer to shoreline current breaks or into nearby backwaters within a few miles of the dam. In low water, they tend to drop deeper, associating with subtler current breaks closer to midchannel.
Locks -- Intermittent current caused by the opening and closing of navigational locks triggers brief flurries of feeding activity. Fish often lie dormant during periods when lock activity is quiet. Then suddenly, as a lock opens and flushes water and food down through the exit, gamefish rise off bottom, dash into the vortex, and grab a meal. Short but intense bursts are the rule; for a few minutes, the fish become aggressive before settling back into relative dormancy.
We've seen the same effect as large ferry boats or barges enter or leave a dock; the rush and turbulence of propellers activates fish in the immediate area.
Current -- Don't underestimate current, an important locational element for walleyes. Sometimes it's consistent; other times, it's brief or intermittent, ever changing. In any form, however, walleyes relate to it. If fishing current is high on your list of priorities this spring, you'll likely catch more and bigger walleyes. Given the option of fishing otherwise equal spots, go with the flow. That's usually what the walleyes do.
