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Fall Walleye Fishing Techniques

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Summary: Autumn in the life of a walleye is a time of continual change. The water temperature is declining; natural structure such as aquatic vegetation that has provided protective cover all summer, is dying; lakes and reservoirs with thermal stratification in summer are turning over; and forage, that was abundant just a short time before, is now scarce or too large to swallow. Walleye and sauger respond in different ways to these changes, and their response has a direct effect on fishing.

Walleye in lakes and reservoirs that have been utilizing heavy vegetative cover and other natural structures move from the shallows into deeper water, often associating with land points, gravel bars, and rock reefs. Fish that occupied gradual sloping contours with vegetation in warm weather abandon this habitat for sharper breaking structures -- flooded creek channels, sunken islands, and inundated road beds. Fish, that in summer were scattered at random throughout this cover, are now found in loose aggregations moving along heavier structure.

Fall Walleyes Fishing Tips

Fishing techniques in this period include back trolling with a slip-sinker rig baited with a minnow or casting a leadhead dressed with a minnow. Fish are more difficult to locate because they are concentrated into larger groups. But once that location is found, some fine fishing can result. Another location worth trying is a flowing inlet from an adjacent lake, marsh or embayment. The slight currents invariably attract bait-fish and walleye move in to forage on them. Leadheads tipped with minnows or count-down minnow plug type lures are very productive. Long-lining in low light periods, close to a rocky shoreline, dam-face, or shallow reef with rocky structure with a floating-diving plug can also score in the fall.

Walleye and sauger that have been widely scattered in summer begin an accelerated movement into the lock and dam tailwaters in the Mississippi. Some large walleye remain downstream and move into scour holes along wing dams well into winter, and this is always the best time to catch a trophy fish. Three-way rigs with colored beads and baited with a minnow are the overwhelming favorite of river fishermen. Fish this rig in the same manner as in the spring period. Sometimes drift fishing over deep pool areas in the Mississippi with a twister-tail or minnow-dressed leadhead is also a good method. Presentation should be slower in fall, and make sure the bait or lure is fished just off the bottom. One walleye fishing expert summed up the three best walleye presentations in fall as slow - slower - slowest.

Fishing the interior rivers is best in only one location -- the deepest pool in a river reach that you can find. Walleye congregate in these holes as the water cools. Look for deep pools on outside river bends just off cut-banks where the current has scoured the bed of the stream. If there are rocks, logs or other structure present -- so much the better. A large chub baited slip-sinker rig, leadhead -- preferably dark in color and tipped with a minnow -- or a deep running plug are best for catching walleye in these waters.