What are the current productive depths to catch walleye?

[Jay Thomas]

Hi everyone,

Departing Friday morning for a week of walleye fishing in the area. I would appreciate information on the current productive depths (10 to 40 feet) of water in which most of you have been catching walleye. Thanks in advance.

Jay

[NortonJoe]

Jay, when jigging we were most successful in about 20 FOW right off the bottom.  Trolling was good anywhere from about 15 FOW to 30 FOW.

[Jay Thomas]

Jay, when jigging we were most successful in about 20 FOW right off the bottom.  Trolling was good anywhere from about 15 FOW to 30 FOW.

Thanks

[SgtCrabby]

Thanks @NortonJoe ,
Our group will be up there in a few weeks.

[Hodgey1]

Departing Friday morning for a week of walleye fishing in the area. I would appreciate information on the current productive depths (10 to 40 feet) of water in which most of you have been catching walleye. Thanks in advance.

Jay,

Not an expert, but we just got home Saturday and we're very successful in 18-26' with 22' being our target depth most times.

[Jay Thomas]

Departing Friday morning for a week of walleye fishing in the area. I would appreciate information on the current productive depths (10 to 40 feet) of water in which most of you have been catching walleye. Thanks in advance.

Jay,

Not an expert, but we just got home Saturday and we're very successful in 18-26' with 22' being our target depth most times.

Thanks Hodgey1. All recent experience is very helpful.

Jay

[T-Bone]

Sharp break between 14' and 22' was stacked with fish...absolutely stacked...some suspended in about 7'-10' also. So, I guess, on a sharp break stacked between 7' and 22' we were catching at will. Bigger fish out of the lower end of that range...

[Jay Thomas]

Sharp break between 14' and 22' was stacked with fish...absolutely stacked...some suspended in about 7'-10' also. So, I guess, on a sharp break stacked between 7' and 22' we were catching at will. Bigger fish out of the lower end of that range...

Thanks Todd. I'll be watching my sonar unit to see if I come across such a scenario. Did you try slip bobbering the suspended walleye? I'll be jigging and bottom bouncing as usual and slip bobbering if required. This year, I'm going to give Athentx Plastics Pulse-R (https://www.in-depthoutdoors.com/fishing/videos/plastic-tactics-for-pre-spawn-eyes-2/) a try during the day on big 30 foot deep flats with deeper water near by. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. I'm hopeful I'll get a chance to read your trip report before I leave.

Jay

[T-Bone]

As you know Jay, we anchor 99.5% of the time, so can't I comment on bottom bouncing of how that may work. As stated, the fish were stacked in a very specific area so there was really no need to "cover water" that is inherent in a bottom bouncing technique.

We did have success on slip bobbers, but that was in concert with dragging or tapping the bottom vertical jigging. We'd have a couple of us slipping, a couple vertical jigging, a couple casting and swimming a jig and poles bent all around...at the same time. Not sure how many double-headers we had...but it was a lot. Didn't seem to matter...all techniques were working.

I like those Pulse-R bodies, but this year I caught most of my fish on smaller bodies (<2")...Foxee...Fuzz-E-Grub...et al. The boys mostly used twister tails, but crappie sized in most cases. I had a fat 3" twister on one of my poles the last two evenings and caught a lot of fish too.

I will state this definitively; we were working rocks and boulders 99% of the time. Can't tell you how many times we got the anchor stuck (many!), and I'd bet collectively we lost over 150 jigs to snags...probably more. Got pretty proficient at re-tying though...like a NASCAR pit crew in efficiency. 

As stated before, we didn't catch nor did we hear of anybody catching fish in water deeper than 25'...and nobody catching any on "flats"...if anything quite the opposite. Mid-lake humps, and break areas off points adjacent to deeper water. Every lake is different though, I suppose...may as well give it a try.

I'll try to get that report done this week.

Good luck! 

[GregL]

Sharp break between 14' and 22' was stacked with fish...absolutely stacked...some suspended in about 7'-10' also. So, I guess, on a sharp break stacked between 7' and 22' we were catching at will. Bigger fish out of the lower end of that range...

Thanks Todd. I'll be watching my sonar unit to see if I come across such a scenario. Did you try slip bobbering the suspended walleye? I'll be jigging and bottom bouncing as usual and slip bobbering if required. This year, I'm going to give Athentx Plastics Pulse-R (https://www.in-depthoutdoors.com/fishing/videos/plastic-tactics-for-pre-spawn-eyes-2/) a try during the day on big 30 foot deep flats with deeper water near by. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. I'm hopeful I'll get a chance to read your trip report before I leave.

Jay

This weekend my fish I found were between 20' - 27', active all day. The crazy wind might have had something to do with it tho! I like those baits as well! Some great colors!

[BryanKale]

Jay, when jigging we were most successful in about 20 FOW right off the bottom.  Trolling was good anywhere from about 15 FOW to 30 FOW.

This was very informative. Thanks, NortonJoe!