Living near Fort Meigs, it was a bike run to spend a day hiking, playing and fishing. The best spawn sites have moderate waves because wave … Doug spends most of his spring trips on WI’s Fox River, but same type of deal can work on other river systems like the Rainy River, Mississippi, Peshtigo, etc. Fishing near the Detroit police station on the river very close to the wall is a great spot to find walleye. When fish of this caliber congregate down a river, fishing tends to get easier. Walleye like to lie along shallow holes when active, whilst resting walleye will be right down in the basin. River Specifics . How To Find & Catch Walleye In A River. Not quite. Best of all, it is a RIVER, not a lake. Old river channels will attract walleye as well, concentrate on sharp sloping points and inside and outside turns; Main lake structure, deepwater large humps, reefs, points and bars having a gradual slope will hold walleye than points the drop off rapidly; River & Streams Prime Locations: Tailwaters below dams will hold walleye from late fall into early spring. My friends and I even spent nights camping on the river. I spent my childhood on the Maumee River. When the Walleye Just Won’t Bite All of us have had tough days on the water – bad weather, equipment failure and fish that refuse to bite. It is better to wait until a few weeks following, or go before a few weeks before, and targeting pre-spawn areas. That’s what walleye ace Ted Stewner did in October 2004 at the Walleye Championship in Pine Falls, Manitoba. When the river spills over its banks, the flow is also going to exponentially increase and muddy water conditions are imminent. One of the obstacles we do deal with from time to time is the runoff in the spring. How to Catch Columbia river Walleye: Rods and Reel For Bottom Bouncing . As post-spawn walleyes filter through the transition zones of lakes and rivers, one of the most common (and under fished) post spawn locations is shallow flats. Winter is a prime time to catch walleye below the dams because the fish migrate up river in search of a feeder stream where they intend to spawn on riffles. Look for current breaks in 2 to 6 feet of water during the spring. That’s why I completed this DIY guide to conquering Rainy River walleye in the spring. Get out of your comfort zone, learn our crawler harness 101 tips and catch more Columbia River walleye. “Cheater rig” for dirty river walleyes. This will start pushing walleyes tight to shore and even up into shallow cover along the shoreline. This simple “cheater rig” straight-up catches ’em [!!!] This is important to locating river walleyes, find the structure and fish downstream along the margin between slack and moving water, walleyes will hold here as a resting place occasionally darting out into the current to feed. Stewner took care of that, though. The most productive flats can often be found outside of a river bend or near shore adjacent a major point. The mouths of feeder streams can often offer plenty of action as heavy rains will wash fresh food and water into the river. In order to catch a walleye, you need to hook the bait that walleye prefer on … ­Walleye spawn occurs in shallow waters­ -- usually from 1 to 20 feet (0.3 to 6.1 meters) in depth and preferably rocky-bottomed areas. When it comes time to finally hit the water, I can’t help but be a little nervous. Sometimes shallow means 3 feet, other times it can mean 15. At other times, work the deep water off wing dams, island channel cuts, deep-water bridge abutments, and center channel edges. I can’t make Walleye fishing easy, but I can make it easier for you to start fishing Walleye. You are ready to hit the water, right? Let’s take a look at three major types of waterbodies we can expect to find walleyes in. Pro Guide Explains How To Find Walleye On A New Lake Wisconsin fishing guide and friend of the program Tom Boley explains how to find for Walleye on a new or unfamiliar body of water. Don’t be afraid to fish shallow. Typically, where a feeder river enters the main river you will have several key elements to focus on. %AD1% Other successful locations are wing dams or other water obstructions that form eddies which provide current breaks both downstream and upstream. The Pacific northwest is ideal harness fishing for all our lakes and reservoirs. How to Fish River Walleyes. I spent the first few trips finding the river channel while trying to preserve my lower unit. A river will naturally bring bait with the flowing water. Think of an inlet like a river buffet so to speak. The fish are here, but for some reason, they can be difficult to catch with this dirty water. The challenge and their delicious fillets kick thousands of anglers into gear. The water here is often quite turbulent which can disorient baitfish making them easier meals for walleye. Most anglers will use either some live bait or artificial lures in order to catch walleye, and sometimes even a combination of both. Walleye push to the banks, structure, riffraff and current breaks to escape the river’s heavy current. Walleye can be successfully caught from the shore in the early morning and during dusk hours. March 7, 2021 – The Spring Walleye run in the Lake St. Clair River systems is about to explode with over 6 million Walleye coming into the watershed for their annual spawn! Learning how to catch Walleye is a life long pursuit. Tips And Tricks For Fishing A Walleye River Spawn. There is often a deeper hole where fish will stage pre-spawn and feed on what the current is bringing down. Back then it was relatively safe. It’s the simplest form of fishing which is why the Detroit River is so popular in the spring.” If you’re new, go to a location with lots of boats. Detroit River walleye is an outstanding fishery. Below I have listed some helpful tips and tricks to increase your catch rate. Location > Doug: “Some of the best areas to find early-season fish are sand or mud flats adjacent to the main river channel…fish position themselves on top of these because they usually warm up the fastest. The Missouri River reservoirs are an excellent example. Walleye rigs for river fishing. The waves were gigantic out on massive Lake Winnipeg, but they were only half the problem—the other half was the wall of water rushing into the lake from the Winnipeg River. A reservoir is a man-made waterbody, often by damming a river or tributary. I’m usually an artifical-only enthusiast when chasin’ walleyes…but sometimes you gotta bust out all the tricks when it comes to out-fishing your buddies lol. Along the banks of the Detroit River near the city of Detroit anglers should also check out places along the shoreline and walls. Using a 3⁄4-ounce #4 Stingeye Spinner he’s caught several Niagara River walleye tucked behind rock and boulder current breaks in 20 feet of water. When fishing for walleye in rivers, it’s key to maintain bottom contact with your setup at all times. The best winter walleye fishing I have experienced is below dams on the Mississippi River north of St. Louis, Mo. It’s time for the Spring River Walleye bite! River walleye fishermen should be ready to adapt to existing conditions and try to match rigs that other successful anglers are using. Unfortunately this means getting your tackle snagged on bottom structure a lot. The best rigs for walleye river fishing are the lindy rig, the 3 way rig, and the slip bobber rig. Look for walleyes along a river channel that has considerable depth as well, especially in midsummer. “Long casts and slower retrieves, keeping my rod tip pointed downwards while reeling in to ensure my Stingeye stays deep, was the technique,” Coia said. Walleye fishing is often a game of chances, and when these fish shut down, you’ll find yourself cursing all the way back to the launch ramp. “The position of rod tip while reeling in is key. There are clues, such as the Palouse arm warming up sooner than the main Snake River in the spring and an abundance of yearling-sized walleyes that suggest a successful spawning population. Rainy River is hands down one of the best locations in the country to catch a fish of a lifetime. Watch Tom cover electronics, techniques and other sound fishing advice related to catching walleye … Big walleye will cluster up in the first major current break caused by an island, peninsula, or point below a dam. Rocky, uneven surfaces provide the gestating eggs some protection from predatory fish. This river was nicknamed the Big Muddy for a reason and when the tributaries break free of ice, it can bring in a lot of mud and silt. In large river systems, many walleyes are caught close to dams in winter and spring. River inlets offer several different feeding and staging opportunities for the walleye angler. They usually contain vast schools of perch and other baitfish, which the walleyes rely on to recover from the spawn. Fishing can be productive throughout the day here. Once you dial in on where the fish are, you must use the right tool for the job. So you have decided to try walleye river fishing. Walleye can be a challenging fish to target, but that’s what makes them so enticing. I would avoid fishing the spawn or the weeks immediately following the spawn. The ideal rod and reel for this method of fishing can be debated for decades, but the bottom line is that it needs to be able to handle 3-4 ounce bottom bouncers, while still having a soft tip to detect the subtle take of a walleye. Fishing from Shore. How to Catch Spring Walleye While this time of year can be one of the easiest to catch walleye, that doesn’t mean you can just throw a tin can out there and expect results. I’d rather take a couple of days to find safe, navigable water than scratch the itch for that first fish. Carter says, “Don’t over think it. River Walleye Fishing Tips. Therefore, river walleye will move around a whole lot less and post up in areas where bait is likely to flow by. River walleye will spawn before lake walleye, because the water warms faster and ice off is sooner. Happy angler holds angry walleye in the boat on the river Lures and Bait. You have ch­osen a river, have access to a boat, and your best friend has agreed to go with you. As stated above, walleye living in a river will act very differently than ones in a lake. Most of our fishing around the Tri Cities area, down to the McNary Pool is done by pulling our harness rigs. River Gravel Beds. A good idea for anglers new to a particular river is to stop in at a local tackle shop and get the local experts to recommend tackle and rigs that are taking fish. When the webfeet head back north in the spring, their flight path may be 50 miles either side of the big brown ribbon. Fish are stressed at this point and unlikely to feed during this period. On the upper Mississippi River, for example, the autumn migration down the river may only be 10 miles wide. Many people target walleye, but not everyone is able to catch a freezer full. They use reefs, gravelly beachfronts and rip-rap used to protect the shoreline from erosion [source: Pitlo]. Use a professional charter service, rent a Lake St. Clair boat, or bring your own boat and stay at one of our Lake St. Clair area vacation rental homes with dockage (see page bottom). Although there is a crowd, there is a reason everyone is huddled into that location. While fewer walleyes are present in the Snake River, numbers have been steadily increasing over the past 5 years. Many of the country’s top walleye fisheries are reservoirs.