High Percentage Fall Walleye Spots
By Lance Valentine
We all know that fall is one of the best times to chase trophy walleye. One of the constants of fall is the types of areas and spots big walleye use as they start feeding up to get through the upcoming winter and spring spawning season. By quickly recognizing these key spots on a map or GPS, anglers can spend more time fishing in the best spots on the body of water they are fishing.
When chasing trophy walleye in lakes and reservoirs a few factors are key to finding the best areas. Any current flow, especially flow coming in, will attract fall baitfish and the big walleye won’t be too far behind. Deeper bays, especially those with incoming or outgoing current or wind blowing in will also draw bait and trophy walleye. Deep water “pinch points”, where two pieces of structure or drop offs meet are great spots for attracting and holding migrating walleye. If fishing a reservoir, look for all these areas in the lower third of the reservoir, closest to the dam, as most baitfish and walleye will migrate toward the deepest, most stable water in the system in the fall. Fall trophy walleye in rivers act a little differently but can be figured out easily. As the water gets cool in fall, there is a definite movement of fish to channel edges as opposed to the flats fish used in the summer time. Channel edges with steep drops are key areas to start your search for trophy walleye. Anytime I find a inside corner on a channel edge I spend lots of time there, especially if the channel edge is steep with access to deep water. An obvious spot to look for fall trophy river walleye is on outside bends. Outside bends create deeper holes, attract baitfish and walleye.
There are two key things I look for when scouting for a good fall trophy walleye spot, “Steep” and “Deep”. Steep dropping drop offs, edges, and structures will hold many more trophy fall walleye that gradual sloping areas do. There is a definite movement of walleye from flats and gradual tapering drop off areas to steeper areas and paying attention to where these steeper areas are will help you catch more fish. Another thing I look for in the fall is quick access to the deepest water in the area. Fall weather is unstable, and baitfish and walleye may need to change depths often to stay comfortable. Steep drops and quick access to deep water in an area make it easier for fish to change depth.
Fall trophy walleye are creatures of habit. Mother Nature sends them signals they cannot deny, and those signals send them to distinct areas of a lake, reservoir, or river. Understand what those areas look like, spend more time fishing these high percentage areas and you will catch more trophy walleye this fall!