Andrew Ragas discusses early spring river walleye: where to find them and the best techniques for catching them.

Spring spawning and fishing locations

Pinpointing walleye locations correlates mostly with the progression of the migration and spawn locations. Walleyes on their spawn run require cover and resting areas while current is both their friend and foe. While currents guide them upstream, they’ll take structural paths providing them the least resistance and most resting points. Laydowns, rock piles, shoreline eddies and current breaks and bridge abutments all provide them with ideal cover while en route upstream. Throughout the day, walleyes will hold around these locations, but are more inclined to be actively spawning and feed during the nighttime hours.

The best walleye-spawning habitats are large, sloping, shallow gravel bars comprised of pea gravel and palm-sized rock with moderate to slower gradient current rich in dissolved oxygen passing over and through them. Walleyes disperse their eggs and milt over the shallow current-oxygenated structures. MWO

 To be ready for the season check out the April issue of MidWest Outdoors magazine, available the first full week of April at a newsstand near you. You may also subscribe to MidWest Outdoors online or by phoning 800-606-3474.