MWO eNewsletter Exclusive!

Jim offers these successful tips for targeting late summer and early fall trophy walleye.

Finding the right spawning grounds and forage is key to catching big walleye. Prime spawning grounds will include rocky flats adjacent to shorelines and points that have deep water nearby. Ideally, there will be weed growth that can serve as a hideout for the spawning ciscoes. While waiting for the right water temperature, these fish will often suspend out in this deeper water. When water temperatures get to 42 degrees or so, the ciscoes will move in and then the walleyes will follow.

The seasonal movements of walleyes also come into play. As water temperature decline, walleyes start to leave main-lake structure in favor of the shoreline points or even bays. As walleyes move back to the shoreline structure, they will often set up along shoreline breaks in shallow water at 4 to 6 feet and even shallower if a stiff wind is blowing into shore. Given this, walleyes and ciscoes are on a collision course and the advantage goes to the larger, toothy critters. What we want to focus on are the walleyes lurking near these rocky areas in pursuit of the fatty ciscoes. When looking for these areas on maps, look for windblown points or shorelines that have a steep break and deep water adjacent or nearby—this is the ideal setup for walleye success in autumn.

If you yearn for more information about replicating cisco patterns to target giant walleye, be sure to check out Jim’s full article in the September issue of MidWest Outdoors magazine, available on or about September 1st at a newsstand near you.