Stained water has a brownish-colored tint caused by organic material that has dissolved in the water like a teabag. Stained water creates unique opportunities for walleye anglers that clear bodies of water do not, especially during daylight hours.

When to fish

Walleyes, like most fish, are opportunists. Fish naturally expend as little energy as possible to live and feed. This often means walleyes take advantage of their natural ability to sense (through vibrations and sound) as well as see better than their prey in low-light or low-visibility conditions.

In many clear-water lakes, low-light conditions or fishing at night are typically more opportune times to catch walleyes. This is when walleyes have an advantage over minnows and other forage.

In stained-water lakes, walleyes prefer to eat during the daylight hours. Light penetration into the dark depths is just right for a walleye to utilize its many advantages vs. its forage in this low-light environment.

Some anglers ask the question, “Will walleyes feed at night in stained water?” I can speak for one well-known walleye lake with stained water—Lake of the Woods—and the answer is yes, but not nearly as often as during the day.

In talking to literally hundreds of ice anglers who ice fish out of a sleeper house and keep lines in the water at night, some walleyes are caught at night, but not very many, and not very consistently. It is also interesting to know that many of these nighttime feeders are suspended.

Stained water is more forgiving

Finesse is more important in clear water than stained. I feel fortunate that I grew up fishing walleye tournaments on some clear-water lakes. I think it helped me to become a more well-rounded angler. Fishing clear water, from my perspective, is more challenging. As an example, I pay much closer attention to using a much lighter line that’s less visible to walleyes. Fluorocarbon is often my choice as it disappears in the water. When using braid with its no-stretch benefits, I tie in a fluorocarbon leader for the last 4 to 6 feet.

In stained water, I have no problem, especially on my jigging line, using braided line right to the lure. I still prefer using a fluorocarbon leader for my deadstick when ice fishing, but I can get away with about 8- vs. 4-pound-test in clear water.

Consider jigging. In clear water, it is more effective trying to use the lightest jig that conditions allow. Everything must be considered, and there is little room for error.

In stained water, walleyes have no problem with a heavier or larger jig. The size of the offering can be more easily detected by pounding the bottom or simply displacing more water. In some cases, bulking up your presentation can be an advantage.

Colors

Walleyes respond positively to some go-to colors. Gold is an absolute staple color in stained water. In addition, glow colors and bright colors, either on their own or combined with gold, are effective. A few of my favorites in addition to gold are glow red, glow white, pink and orange or combinations of these colors.

Forage: sensing versus seeing

The lateral line enables walleyes to sense vibrations in the water as well as water flow, and their inner ear detects low frequencies in the water. Understanding the way walleyes live and track down food is key when thinking about presentation.

The more I fish, the stronger my feelings are that walleyes have a much better handle on what is going on in their environment than we give them credit for. With the increased use of forward-facing sonar, anglers can observe walleyes in ways never before seen, helping us to better understand their behavior and how they react to sound and vibration.

Mimicking vibration and sound

Vibration and sound can be created by ice anglers in a lot of forms. It can be a rattle in a lure. Some days, fish want the rattle. Other days, they prefer no extra noise.

The action or vibration of a lure can be key. Using a lipless crankbait that can be jigged and puts off sound and vibration, like a Rapala Rippin’ Rap, can attract and ice a lot of walleyes.

A noisy lure can also be a dinner bell that pulls walleyes in from long distances, creating advantages for everyone in the fish house. Sometimes, fish slide in and hit the noisy lure; other times, they take the dead stick. Either way, the erratic, more aggressive presentation created advantage.

Getting aggressive with a Jigging Rap, Chubby Darter or your favorite jigging minnow style bait can also trigger walleyes. These lures move water.

Vibration can also be created simply by your presentation regardless of what type of lure you are using. Jigging very erratically with high lifts and drops, shaking the heck out of your lure, pounding the bottom or even erratically tapping your rod with your fingers sends vibration down the line and can get more strikes.

Be strategic in nature when ice fishing. When fishing with a partner, use different lures and presentations until you understand what the walleyes want. It can change day to day, sometimes hour to hour.

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