Wall Eye Through The Winter

There’s no question that walleye are one of the most popular gamefish in Canada, regardless of the season. However, winter presents a number of unique challenges and in order to be successful you need to know where to look for fish at various times during the winter.

- Gerald Howard

Walleye make predictable seasonal migrations in the winter just like they do during the open-water seasons. They move about under the ice and utilize different parts of the lake and different types of structure at various times as the hard-water season progresses. In general, the ice fishing season can be broken down into three separate time frames: first ice, mid-winter and last ice. Each one requires different strategies for the best chance of locating and catching fish. Before looking at the three distinct time frames, there are some general things to keep in mind when you’re chasing walleyes this winter.

General Winter Strategies

Knowing the type of lake you’re going to be fishing is important for success. In shallow, weedy lakes walleyes are likely to be found in and around the weeds for most of the hard-water season. Conversely, if your destination is a deep, rocky lake your strategy should include fishing reefs or rock points near main lake basins. However, this is not to say you won’t catch walleye off weeds in deep rocky lakes and off rock structure in shallower lakes. Use this information as a guideline to start your search for high percentage areas for the type of lake you are fishing but don’t get stuck in a rut. If the fish aren’t cooperating, be versatile and switch baits, presentations or locations until you solve the puzzle.