Hey guys,
So I am on a walter craze right now and am constatly looking at maps and finding drops off and flats and possible new places to try!!! My question is in all my research there seems to be a large amount of lakes that, according to the DNR lake finder web pages, offer good walleye numbers. but these lakes are just a huge fish bowl with very few if any pintch points/drop offs/ flats to target. How do you fish for walleyes on these fish bowl kind of lake bottom?
My guess would be similar to the basin bite on Crappies. I’m assuming you are looking at a smaller lake in that 500-1000 acre range. Punch holes and look around the basin til you start marking. I would probably also look for where there is a steeper ascent from deep to shallow with a nice 8-16 foot flat of ANY SIZE or substance on the top for the low light bite. I know you mentioned there were few if any flats but those sizes may be relative. Could be just a 20 foot flat-ish spot.
They will still want to be near the bait in their brief low light feeding windows. My guess is to try to locate, if available, the smaller perch in these shallower flats(if they exist) or on the edges of any existing weed lines.
I know on a place like Mille Lacs, you may find them on other transition types. Mud to rocks, rocks to gravel, gravel to sand. etc.
Just my 2 cents. The apparent lack of walleye in my freezer might suggest you keep asking around though. hah!
Find what is different and you’ll find your answer
Instead of the 15′ elevation change look for the 1-2′ change or the change from soft to hard bottom. Also use baits that will call them in.
I feel your pain! A lot of the lakes in my area are of this type, and I have a heck of a time finding anything like a consistent pattern.
Frenchman’s advice is sound. Where I’ve had success(and it’s limited), it’s been simply finding ANYTHING even remotely resembling “structure”. A bar or slight indent or point(neither that really qualify), a patch of gravel in an otherwise sandy bottom, etc. Stuff that would be the “spot on the spot” in a lake with more structure often ends up as THE structure. Like Frenchman said, a simple 1-2′ change near or with weeds can make a difference. Locally here, that transition from hard to soft bottom often plays in.
If you know they are in there(something I’m not always sure of on some of mine), keep looking, keep looking, keep looking. When you find one or two key areas or spots in one of those lakes, chances are they’ll continue to be consistent producers.
I always mean to spend more time on these waters in open water, GPS in hand so I can mark little things like a pocket in a weedbed, a sandy bottom that gives way to gravel or whatever…and every winter I wish I’d gotten it done. 
Good luck, you’ll figure a few out eventually!
Been there. Lots of good advice above. Right now is the toughest time of year to catch walleyes consistently in my opinion. December can be red hot, early january OK, and from then on it gets pretty tough. The best tool for finding walleyes year ’round is a car. Going to Lake of the Woods or some other lake that has high numbers of fish improves your odds a LOT. February, March and April are definite up north/LOTW/Rainy River months in my book if you are looking for walleyes.
Good info, thanks! Now time to get it done!! keep your hooks sharp and your lines tight!!
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