Alright guys, I have never been real big on walleye fishing but I am looking to get hooked on the Walleye. When looking at a topo map of the lake what do you look for? What depth usually? Any tips or advice is greatly appreciated! And I use DNR Lakefinder to check lakes out and I have Navionics and absolutely love it for finding crappies but want to get on some walleye! Any advice will help! Thanks in Advance!!!
Tough call not knowing the lake you are targeting. But in general, I start looking for feeding flats in that 10-20 FOW near a steep break. That would be my low light spot. Daytime, I’m looking for that deep water mud meeting boulders, sand or gravel. Deeper humps (20-35feet), deeper points, deeper reefs.
I also look for pinch points as possible “paths” the fish may use when roaming from structure to structure. I’m looking for those dips that almost form something of a channel to and from these structure.
Just some thoughts. A lot of guys are smarter at this than myself and each lake seems to have its own special exceptions that only experience will unveil. Good luck!
I look at the feeding habits originating from body type – rivers, shallow basin, and deep basin lakes. Rivers=current breaks, shallow basin lakes usually start early in very shallow weeds and work deeper throughout winter, and deep basin lakes will transition between deep to shallow on weather conditions and food source.
What type of lake are you picking apart?
That also depends on what’s accessible to you. For me, I can greatly narrow down my search by eliminating the areas too far to get to hoofing it. So, I look for any transitions, drops next to feeding shelves, weed edges, etc. You might just find a zillion bull bluegills instead but what’s wrong with that? In other words I pick apart “fishy” spots close to home first and take what comes more easily. It might not be walters but I get plenty of them close to home once the local river is accessible to boats and my kids like fried panfish better anyway. Winter panfish are more palatable to clean anyway, cleaning dead pale gills pulled from 80 degree water aren’t as pleasant.
If you have the luxury of ice travel doing homework helps but I’d hang out at the boat landing and talk to the guys leaving. Some will talk, some won’t, but guys leaving to go home will spew more info than anyone just starting out. There’s all that talk about staying away from crowds too but if you’re new to a body a water crowds are there because someone caught a fish=good starting point!
I usually fish around the Cold Spring area, it varies in lakes from simple bowl like lakes and crazy lakes with submerged islands in them. But looking for flats along steep breaks is a good idea? Any certain depths to look in during the day? Night? Thanks guys for all the help! I can get almost anywhere using either the new side-by-side or my truck or even a snowmobile if the weather calls for it! Any decent spots I could go sit for a few hours and pull a fish or 2 from? Just to get the feel for them! And as of fishing on a steep break should I be fishing on the Steep break or at the bottom of it?
http://webapp.navionics.com/?lang=en#products/NavionicsPlus
Here, look at 2 Rivers Lake on navionics, thats a lake I might fish if i can figure out where to fish on it!
OK, I’ll give it a shot. While there are interesting spots on the north end of the lake, I arbitrarily picked the southern portion. Yellow indicates the lower light periods while red indicates the daytime suggestions.
I did look this lake up on Lakefinder. DNR shows not huge numbers but some good size in there. I was looking for a feeding basin in the daytime that would produce lots of bugs for the prey fish (perch and whatnot) that would likely attract the Walleyes. BUT, I didn’t want to get too deep as bringing a Walleye out of that depth would not be a likely healthy release. So I focused on that 30-45 foot flat. Then considering the steep break near that likely daytime flat that was the closest AND had a decent flat area itself, I highlighted that in yellow. That point holds some nice structure and has some nice travel chutes leading up to it.
Just my 2 cents. The two spots I picked are certainly not the only places that look promising. Just my first picks. And had you not mentioned Mid-winter, I would not be afraid to go shallower.
twoRiversIdeas.jpg
OK, I’ll give it a shot. While there are interesting spots on the north end of the lake, I arbitrarily picked the southern portion. Yellow indicates the lower light periods while red indicates the daytime suggestions.
I did look this lake up on Lakefinder. DNR shows not huge numbers but some good size in there. I was looking for a feeding basin in the daytime that would produce lots of bugs for the prey fish (perch and whatnot) that would likely attract the Walleyes. BUT, I didn’t want to get too deep as bringing a Walleye out of that depth would not be a likely healthy release. So I focused on that 30-45 foot flat. Then considering the steep break near that likely daytime flat that was the closest AND had a decent flat area itself, I highlighted that in yellow. That point holds some nice structure and has some nice travel chutes leading up to it.
Just my 2 cents. The two spots I picked are certainly not the only places that look promising. Just my first picks. And had you not mentioned Mid-winter, I would not be afraid to go shallower.
Awesome! Thanks for the help! Can’t wait to try it out! Any other useful tips? For instance any lake, what to look for or picking places for nighttime or daytime targeting?
Funny what you find in our linked world. This might get too easy. I just checked fishidy and Navionics phone app on a random lake I never fished and there’s waypoints someone either purposely or unknowingly shared.
You can also view the ice once you get to spots you find on maps and see if there has been previous activity. Lots of old holes concentrated in an area could be a hotspot.
Ideally, I’d get a good power auger and head out ready to move fast. Take just one rod and the least amount of gear possible and keep moving. Drill dozens of holes up and down breaks and across flats checking them with a flasher along the way. Then drill dozens more, then repeat again and again. Once I’d mark a fish I’d move close by, drill more holes and look for more marks. If I think I find shangri-la I’d get that rod out and start fishing. If I don’t find it but getting exhausted I’d drop a line on some of those single marks or go back and check back through all the holes I drilled along the way to see if fish moved in. If I strike out I’d probably not try that again, at least not that area anytime soon and hopefully have a choice at a different lake the next time I get that idea.
Other tips? Don’t be afraid to fail when learning a new lake. Move around a bunch. Have a plan B, C and D in your sleeve. Don’t fish one spot more than an hour. Not one hole, one spot. I consider a spot about 150 yards square but that is subjective when you consider the overall size of what holds potential in that given spot.
Honestly, on new lakes, I’m not afraid to do my homework and if I see other fish houses on the spots I picked, it only confirms my research. I’ll fish there near them but not right on them.
Revisit spots that theoretically hold fish but busted out for you at say 9AM. Go back at 4PM to those same holes and try again. I also pay attention to the number of holes that previous fishermen have punched in those areas I think SHOULD hold fish. More confirmation that we’re either all stupid or smart. Either way, it’s nice to know you have company. You’ll find out if it’s a good spot in an hour. lol
Oh, I also read on the DNR site that this lake lacks good water clarity. Consider some noisy rattle baits with bright colors or glow. Punch a hole next to you for a dead stick tipped with a minnow on the tail. Given the lack of clarity, I’m not convinced you would find a good night bite.
Hey JD, in the map you marked up, what’s your thoughts on the shallower flat/saddle just below the left hand side “lake” and the possible approach funnels on either side(to the south)?
Those are both great plans Rev. I didn’t make them my plan A as they were further from the larger deep flats or lacked a nice shallower flat on the top. But I would certainly make those spots Plan B and C.
Sorry, I meant to the left arm of the picture, not the south end of it. I meant to the south side of that shallower hump bordered on both sides by deep water. The creeks on that end interested me too, depending on whether they’re flowing in or out. Hope I didn’t confuse and have you looking at the other end. BTW-I like the looks of your A plan.
lol, I had to edit out that comment on the hump vs. saddle as I became uncertain what you were referring to. The outflowing creek on that left arm (an assumption based on the fish gate on the northern end being an inflow) interest me less. But I agree with you, the inflowing creeks are a consideration on the North end of the lake. Not that it was ever a place for the Walleye to migrate to in the spring but flowing water often comes with free food. For sure, I would fish crappie and pike in the spring on that north end.
I certainly would try that hump/saddle in the left arm too. Especially if I could find some boulders on top of the hump. It’s a generous little raise platform in there. Good call!
I was only thinking of the creeks as a possible source of oxygenated water in that arm, thinking mid-winter. Some of my local smaller seepage lakes can get stressed this time of year is all.
Anyway, this is rj’s post-rjthehunter, are you getting the type of information you were looking for?
I hadn’t thought of that Rev. Good point! Into my internal database that tidbit goes for future evaluation as a variable. Speaking of, have you found these creek areas to be better fishing nearby in the heart of winter?
Now that I asked that, does anyone know if underground springs also bring fresh oxygen and if those areas produce better?
Actually, I can’t say as I have spent much time fishing the direct creek inlet areas-mostly due to them being typically extremely shallow around here. Late ice, on the other hand…
Springs definitely provide oxygen…oddly enough, in the winter under the ice they also provide relatively warm water. Also, springs spook the hell out of me ice-fishing…I like to stay on the top side of things, I’m a big chicken like that. IF you’ve got reasonably decent ice in a spring area, it may be worth a look but I still think good structure that attracts food is the better day in/day out bet.
Come on Rev, and give up a ride on one of these?
thinIceRide.jpg
It would be fun!
I was only thinking of the creeks as a possible source of oxygenated water in that arm, thinking mid-winter. Some of my local smaller seepage lakes can get stressed this time of year is all.
Anyway, this is rj’s post-rjthehunter, are you getting the type of information you were looking for?
Yes! I’m getting it figured out where to look for them! I need a general idea of what you first look for when you look at a topo map when making your plans and its been a lot of help so far! Who knows maybe I’ll head out tonight and try your guys spots 
Alright, I took a stab at it on a different lake, how does this look for a spot to try?
Screen-Shot-2015-01-17-at-8.19.21-AM.jpg
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