Early Early Spring – Fishing Opener

OK, 2nd year in the row for early spring in MN/WI. Last year I expected the Walleye to be in post spawn transitional areas, but after struggling to find fish, ended up catch Walleye in traditional spawning areas. I couldn’t believe they were still in those spawning areas with how early spring was.

Now, we have an Early early spring. What are the guesses on where the Walleye will be this opener? Spawning areas? Post spawn? Or even early mid-season structure?

Going to plan on everything…..

I wondered the same thing a while back. Someone brought up that the spawn isn’t strictly related to water temps, but the photoperiod also plays a role.

Yeah I think we overrate seasonal changes, fish are on their own routine schedules and don’t have a calendar. Regardless of where I go this year, I will start in areas I’ve had success in the past on opener, or similar structure, and move on from there.

The lake my group fishes on opener is still ice covered, so I don’t think it will be much different than normal.

Really kind of depends on what kind of weather we get in the next month. Prolonged cool, wet time periods where we get multiple days of rain (like we are getting now) delays any significant warm up in water temps.

Last year was a later than normal ice out in MN. With the snow and now the cold rain we are pretty much on average from the Twin Cities north. You were probably remembering 2021, which was our last year of early ice-offs. I keep detailed records going back to 2004. Since 2012 we have usually been on the early end or the late end for ice-off with only 2020 being somewhat normal to the previous decade. I think the fishing for bass and walleye is better the later the ice comes off because everything in the lake wants to be shallow with the warming temps there. We are forever at the mercy of the weather. It looks like we are going to warm up in the middle part of April. So I expect the eyes will be post-spawn by May with still many shallow fish for MN Opener on Mille Lacs, but not near as many as the weekend prior.

Late ice out western wi last year not early for our lake. We had late ice out we get to shore fish from the cabin and catch our eyes still in the river last opener. Did not do as well on the lake last year.

I will be fishing normal opener spots. Treating it like a regular year. If that doesn’t work then I’ll move on.

Depends on how warm the water gets. Last year the water was still very cold come opener and fish were in spawn spots. We’ll see what the weather brings.

My guess is they will be in post spawn areas. The lakes I fish on opener that means sand flats anywhere from 5’ of water to around 12’.

All depends on temperature. Seems to me if its not during the spawn it takes a couple of weeks after for them to warm up to the bite again.

I will be starting shallow, normal opener spots as always and go from there. I don’t think it’s going to matter what happens weather wise between now and opener, there will be fish shallow.