Club | October 2024

In-Depth: Fall Walleye Fishing in Inland Lakes

By: Captain Lance Valentine

Think about this for a minute…40 years ago the Great Lakes were considered “dead” and walleye fishing was almost non-existent. If you wanted to catch walleye you headed to a handful of inland lakes that had walleye in them. When the walleye boom in the Great Lakes happened, it seemed like anglers turned away from inland lakes. With aggressive walleye stocking programs, the past 30 years or so, inland lake walleye fishing has become better than ever and deserves your attention this fall.

There are lots of advantages to fishing walleye in smaller inland lakes. Obviously, there is a lot less water to cover so walleyes are easier to find. Weather, especially wind, has less of a negative effect on inland lakes meaning fishermen can fish in conditions that would make Great Lakes fishing impossible. Inland lakes also see less fishermen so pressure, especially on the best spots is less than on bigger bodies of water.

TYPES OF INLAND LAKES FOR FALL WALLEYE
Understanding the types of lakes available and how they are different is a key to picking the best place for fall fishing. Here is a quick rundown of lake types and how they measure up for fall fishing.

• 1) Oligotrophic – these are deep, clear lakes that often have very clear, infertile water. They have little shallow cover or weeds and are usually home to cold water species like lake trout, smelt etc. While some may have walleyes, they are a very poor choice for walleye fishing, especially in the fall. Quality prey in these lakes is often limited to perch and deep-water bait like smelt.
• 2) Eutrophic – at the other end of the spectrum are Eutrophic lakes, characterized by shallow, fertile and weedy conditions. These lakes can be good for walleye fishing, especially if they are heavily stocked. Due to the lack of larger, deep basin areas, walleyes are usually located somewhere near cover. A good choice for fall walleye, especially as it gets colder and the thick summertime weeds start to die off. Perch and panfish are the most common prey species although amphibians can be a great option when they migrate to shallow muddy bays to hibernate.
• 3) Mesotrophic – these lakes are “just right” and offer the perfect combination of shallow bays and flats, shallow cover and weeds, mid-depth flats and larger basin areas with deep water. Lots of options are available for walleyes in both deep and shallow water. Prey is also varied and includes shiners, cisco, shad, suckers, perch and panfish and other minnows giving the walleye food sources no matter where they prefer to live.

Lake type will determine location options, available prey options, walleye location and movement and fishing presentations. Understand the lake type you are fishing and the options it has and plan your fall fishing accordingly.

FALL INLAND LAKE WALLEYE MOVEMENTS
As the fall kicks in walleye begin thinking of moving to areas that will provide lots of bait, stable water temperatures, quick access to multiple depths of water and closer to spring spawning areas than their summer haunts have been. Steeper drops become preferred over the gradual slopes preferred in warmer water. Any remaining green weeds still hold bait and walleye will hunt for easy meals, especially at night.

While the fall migration usually starts with the September full moon, it really kicks in with the first signs of cold, clear nights that drop surface temperatures. The fall migration is in full swing when turnover occurs, usually around 60 degrees surface temperature and walleyes again have access to deeper waters that were too cold and lacked oxygen in the summer. When picking a lake to fish, remember that clear water will cool faster that stained water will.

KEY LOCATIONS FOR FALL INLAND LAKE WALLEYE
Fall walleye use key locations and will start grouping up in key areas, making fall fishing a “find them first” approach. Since walleyes are becoming tightly grouped that means there are less spots that will produce, but the good spots will have LOTS of walleye. A lake with more location options is usually more productive since some walleyes are active at any given time. Here are a few proven key locations for fall walleye in inland lakes.

First are saddles, or “pinch points” (RED CIRCLE). These are areas where two pieces of structure come close together, create and migration highway that bait and walleyes will follow. Some of the most productive saddles are where the tips of two points come close together, where the tip of a point comes close to an underwater hump or old river channels. The steeper the drop off is on each side of the saddle, the better it will be, and the more fish will use it to migrate.

Second, the tips of points (GREEN CIRCLE) become walleye magnets in the fall. As bait and walleye migrate, the tips of points are a natural spot for fish to stop, rest and group up making them an almost guaranteed fall hot-spot. The best points are shoreline connected and stick the furthest out into deeper water. Points provide “two level” fishing, with walleyes being able to quickly move to the shallower flat on the top of the point or drop back to the tip over deeper water. In the fall steeper dropping areas on points will hold the most fish and if there is hard bottom and/or cover at the tip of the point it becomes that much better.

Third, look for inside turns, or “cups” (BLUE CIRCLE). Every point creates two inside turns where the lake bottom moves out to create the point. These inside corners concentrate bait and walleyes, especially if the wind is blowing in. Negative to Neutral fish tend to use inside corners more than they use the tips of points. Inside corners are better the closer to shore they are and steep drops with quick access to deep water will increase the amount of fish that will show up. Deep water baitfish will often get blown into cups chasing plankton and when they start to hit the area where deeper water starts to become shallower, the bait will “panic”, turn around and create chaos that walleye and other big predators will take advantage of.

Fourth, flats (GREEN SHADING) hold a lot of fall walleye, especially during long stretches of calm and stable weather. Hard bottom and/or cover will make a flat more attractive to fall walleyes. Flats become better options for fall walleye if they are shoreline connected but close to deeper basin areas. On big sand flats, look for areas of harder bottom that will concentrate bait and walleye. Mid-depth flats (15-25’) are always good options for fall walleye and shallower flats (5-15’) can be good if there is rock, wood or weed cover that will hide bait fish.

Fifth, deep humps (PURPLE CIRCLE) can be a gold mine for fall walleye after turnover creates enough oxygen in the deeper parts of the lake. Deep humps are always worth checking in the fall, but the better ones are located closer to shoreline connected points and humps are more effective if the lake has deep water baitfish like cisco, smelt or whitefish. Pay attention to the position of walleyes on deeper humps. Wind and sub-surface currents will move walleye to different parts of the hump, usually on the side away from the current, just like in a river. Feeding walleye will use the top of the hump and resting fish are usually found on the edges or the bottom of the hump. Bigger humps are always better than small ones, and hard bottom makes a hump more productive, but check them all!

Sixth, Deep basins (YELLOW SHADING) are always great fall walleye locations, especially if the lake has bait fish that support a suspended fishery in the summer periods. Finding suspended bait and walleyes is easy on sonar and in the fall, walleyes are usually tightly grouped and competitive. While fall walleye will use open water basins, the basin areas closer to the tips of points and inside turns – what we call “confined open water” will be better, especially as fall progresses and the water cools.

Other overlooked locations include shallow soft bottomed, mucky bays can be a great location option in shallow, weedy lakes. As fall gets colder frogs, salamander and bullheads head to these areas to hibernate in the mud and walleyes know they are coming! Walleye will often be in water so shallow their dorsal fins will stick out as they gorge themselves. Rocky shorelines, especially those that create a “wall” will be used by walleye to push shallow water bait against and create an all you can eat buffet. These areas are prime locations on overcast or wavy days and at night.

Before we move on from talking about location, let’s discuss a few other details. Pay attention to bottom hardness and transition areas. In the fall hard bottomed areas will almost always hold more fish than soft bottom areas will. The transition between hard and soft bottoms is a magnet for walleye, even if they are suspended in deep water. Look for transition areas on the key locations mentioned above since they will concentrate bait and active walleyes. Don’t forget about wind and current. Again, walleye will change position on the above locations based on wind and/or current. Walleye will use structures in lakes just like in rivers and will prefer to be out of heavy currents, but close enough to grab the easy meals that the current brings them. Remember, walleyes are in tighter groups in the fall and those groups get tighter as the water gets colder. Finding the EXACT spot in good areas can produce amazing fishing!

FALL INLAND LAKE PRESENTATIONS
Okay, now that we know where to look, let’s talk about catching fall walleye in inland lakes. Remember, presentations are chosen based on WHERE the fish are located and WHAT they are feeding on. There are no “big lake” presentations or “small lake” presentations; presentations are picked because they are the most effective way to catch fish based on where they are located, their depth, their activity level, what they are eating and how aggressive they currently are.

Live bait, especially minnows are often the key to catching fall inland lake walleye. Fall is the one time that I will be sure to stop and get good lively bait before hitting the lake. Fall calls for bigger baits in the 4-7” range and even bigger if chasing trophy walleyes. Preferred minnows are chubs, suckers and big fatheads. Select minnows that are hardy and easy to keep alive and be sure to buy enough for a day of fishing.

Live bait can be fished several ways for fall walleye. Jigs are a great way to present live bait and can be used for casting, trolling or vertical jigging in both shallow and deep water. Since minnows are large, using heavier jigs with wide gap, strong hooks are recommended. Pay attention to the position of the line tie when choosing a jig. Vertical fishing calls for a line tie on the top of the jig whereas casting, snap jigging or jig trolling calls for a line tie coming out the nose of the jig.

Live bait rigs often call “Lindy Rigs” are great options for fishing live bait especially in deeper water. A slip sinker is rigged on the main line then a 3-8’ leader is added to a small swivel. Add a wide gap hook (sometimes adding a float or Mack’s Smile Blade in front of the hook will catch more fish), hook a big minnow in the lips and send it to the bottom. Live bait rigs can be presented by slowly moving the boat with the bow mount or the traditional method of “back trolling”; moving the boat backwards for precise boat control in deep water. In deeper water use a heavy sinker to keep the rig more vertical and in shallow water use a lighter weight to get the rig away from the boat.

Crankbaits are a must have for chasing fall walleye. They can be cast or trolled in shallow or deep water, and anglers need a wide assortment of body styles, sizes and shapes. Be sure to have crankbaits in the 4-7” range in both shallow and deep diving models. Shallow diving crankbaits have a “roll” action that makes them great choices for slower presentations and deep divers have more of a “wiggle” action that creates a wider, side-to-side action. Action is one of the most critical factors when picking a crankbait, so pick the best action FIRST, then find a way to fish it at the required depth.

Casting with glide baits has become more popular the past few years with the introduction of forward-facing sonar. Finding schools or individual fish then casting to them allows for precise placement of a lure. Glide baits, like Jigging Rapala, Puppet Minnows, Rip-n-Glides and Shiver minnows are preferred by fall anglers. Be sure to carry several different baits, since each one has a different action and fall rate, and walleyes preference can change quickly.

NIGHT FISHING
Fall is a great time to chase walleyes at night since they seem to constantly be on the feed, and they have an advantage over most prey species in the dark. Good night fishing can be had close to shore, at river mouths, near bridges or piers and this is a great opportunity for anglers without a boat to get in on some amazing fall fishing.

Look for nighttime walleye using shallow cover like weeds and rocks, rocky shorelines or shallow flats, piers, break walls, river mouths, culverts and necked down areas between two sections of a lake. If fishing shallow weedy lakes, don’t forget the fall amphibian migration in shallow shoreline areas. Shallow humps are also key areas that can be fished from shore or a boat. Open water trolling is also effective as suspended fish push bait up to the surface or against steep drop off areas at night.

Presentations that catch night time walleye include casting shallow crank baits and jig/plastic combinations. Trolling crankbaits over shallow flats and structure catches walleye spread over shallow flats and cover. Open-water walleye love long, thin crankbaits trolled close to the surface. A little pro tip, when night fishing add just a touch of glow paint on the eyes, tail and throat of whatever bait you are using. That little bit of “glow” will often make it easier for walleyes to find your bait at night. If you can find a concentration of nighttime walleyes, fishing live bait on jigs or under a lighted bobber can lead to some fast action.

FAVORITE MICHIGAN LAKES FOR FALL INLAND WALLEYE
So, where do we head to take advantage of some great fall inland lake fishing? Luckily the State of Michigan is loaded with lakes full of walleye and many of them get little to no pressure in the fall. Here is a list of some places to try this fall:

MESOTROPHIC LAKES		EUTROPHIC LAKES		OTHER OPTIONS
Burt and Mullet Lakes		Lake Ponemah		Grand Traverse Bays
Hubbard Lake		Houghton Lake		NW Michigan River Mouths
Lake Margrethe		Lake Cadillac and Mitchell		NW Michigan drowned river mouth lakes
South Lake Leelanau		Lake Neppesing		Lake Charlevoix
Lake Fenton

 

CLOSING THOUGHTS
Inland lake walleyes have become overlooked as the Great Lakes walleye fishing has exploded in the past 30 years. Smart anglers know that these hidden gems are full of walleye, have little fishing pressure, are fishable from smaller boats and are usually protected from the weather. Make yourself a promise to fish one of these special walleye waters this fall.