Walleye fishing year round?

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Cliff

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Maybe Wayne can answer this question or any of you who are "avid" walleye fishermen-
Why is it just about anywhere else in the country walleye fishing is done year round but here at Lake Powell we say it only is good or can only be effectively done around May? I know the argument that food becomes more available after May and they "disperse" but the same could be said for other waters around the country.

Could it be the this lake is so unique and different than the rest of the country or do we not have enough people putting in the time to try to fish for them at other times of the year?
Could it be that stripers and bass are so abundant that no one even thinks to try to learn how to catch walleye at other times?

I have heard of someone here in town that used to fish for them most of the year and supposedly did very well. I'm trying to track him down. And, he did it in the lower portion of the lake!

Second question would be why they seem to be more abundant up north? More shad there I guess.
Then that brings the corollary- why are the shad more abundant up north ?
So many questions, so little time to learn :-)
 
Walleye are a cool water fish, falling between trout (cold water fish) and bass (warmwater fish) in terms of their temperature preference. In some ways, it is more surprising that they thrive at all in lake Powell. It is much warmer than the upper Midwest and Canada, where walleye are native. During the spring and fall, they are more active and available when the water temperatures are more suitable. You do hear on WW of people that successfully target them in the fall as well. I suspect you could also catch them during winter. Summer water temperatures are way too hot for walleye.

As far as the north goes, the Colorado is dumping nutrients and sediment that make it much more productive than the lower lake. This productivity ultimately drives the shad population, and the predators we like to chase....
 
Thanks for the reply
I would then think that in the summer they would go deep (as do stripers between boils) to find cooler water.
I wondering what the temperature gradient of the water column is in the summer? I don't have any way to check that but it might be interesting info. I know its in the 40s coming out of the dam down the river. They have to go somewhere in the summer. Maybe we just don't know where they are.
I know Wayne says that food becomes abundant for them after May but wouldn't that be the same in any lake around the country?
 
Walleye like it dark, so most likely they feeding at night during summer. Another reason why they are easiest to catch during the spring in the upper lake the water is turbid, water temps are ideal, and they are in post spawn mode. Not sure how deep the thermocline gets during summer, I am sure Wayne can fill us in😎🤣. But I would bet it is much deeper than most walleye fisheries....
 
Walleye - a cool water fish found in a large warm water reservoir in Utah (Lake Powell). Conditions are perfect for catching walleye in May. Walleye are hungry, recovering from spawning, feeling a warming in the water and forage is appearing after a long period without much to eat. Walleye are hungry and willing to try what anglers have to offer.

Then the water gets warmer and forage fish get more numerous, bigger and more abundant in June and July (summer). Food is more plentiful so walleye are able to feed more quickly and successfully in the dark periods when they are accustomed to feeding. They are still readily available to anglers but you have to target them in early morning light or the dark of night. Most anglers don't do that but fish for walleye during the day. Those that work hard at it can be successful by catching less than 10 walleye in the southern lake each day, or in the 10+ fish per day in the northern lake because walleye numbers are higher there, probably due to the higher numbers of shad in the more nutrient rich inflowing areas.

The most important factor, and for me personally, in reducing walleye catch in the summer/fall is the abundance of other fish that are easier to catch in big numbers. It is so hard for me to pass up a striper boil, or a hungry bunch of bass on the shoreline, instead of dragging a bottom bouncer for long periods, specifically to catch walleye. So a big part of the problem of not catching walleye in the warm summer months and fall period is personal preference of the anglers.

I can dig into our water temp measurements and give you the exact details, but off the top of my head the warm water layer gets deeper each month in the summer. It begins at about 10 feet thick in May and then increases to 20 feet in July and then 30 feet in August. Below the warm water layer is the thermocline which is a real, significant boundary between warm 70-80F water and the cool water below the thermocline which is in the 45-55 degree range. By species all fish then select where they are most comfortable. Adult stripers dive to the 65 degree range while small stripers frolic in the warm water. Walleye are forced into deeper water. Shad are able to handle the warm water so they use that ability to avoid predation from larger, cool water predators. They cannot avoid the small stripers that follow them into the brush and the murky water as shad try to hide.

This discussion identifies the main reason that stripers can be harvested without limited. Catch all you want to help save shad.

It also speaks to walleye that are unlimited because they are harder for anglers to catch in the warm months because they are night feeders and there are so many other distracting fish (bass, stripers, bluegill, etc.) that keep me and many others from fishing for walleye when we can catch so many other fish with less time and effort.
 
Based on my observations from last summer southern Lake Powell has a healthy population of Walleye.

Fishing structure that was near the main channel and in the shadows of the canyon walls seem too attract the light sensitive Walleye, the mouth of Friendship and Rock Creek canyons for example. 25-35' range up until mid July until I decided to 3905break 2 ribs while anchoring the houseboat on my own.
 
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Ryan said:
Interesting. I feel like the walleye fishing is better in fall. I think I have caught more in November than May.View attachment 3907
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Nice basket of fish! I need to follow you, they are some good eating. Used to have a lake close to us that was full of them until northerns were introduced illegally, walleyes are hard to find now. I hope to figure them out at Powell. Thanks for the info.
 
Cliff said:
Were you dragging a bottom bouncer or jigging?
Nice wally
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That particular fish was caught using a night crawler on a drop shot rig but the HOT go to bait was Gary Yamamoto 5" Super Grub chartreuse-black flake on a 3/8 oz football jig head, 1/2 oz for deeper presentation. We caught LM SM and Walleye in the same areas but at different depths. If you want too target the big eye fish specifically I would recommend trying out the Redneck Outfitters trolling weights rigged with a crawler harness. I'm sure bottom bouncers would work well in the same situation.
 

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Ryan, let me correct that, I don’t want to follow you, I agree with Wayne, technique or methods would help though! I have caught very few walleyes In Powell. Haven’t spent much time targeting them but would like to try this year to get some fillets in the cooler.
 
wayne gustaveson said:
Ryan please tell us your technique for catching walleye in the Fall. I assume you were fishing in the northern lake. Give us all the hints you can without disclosing your best spots.
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Happy to share but I don’t really do anything different in fall then spring.

I’ve never had success with bottom bouncers or worms. I lose too much hardware with that and spend all my time going back to chase a snag.

Walleye fishing for me is following the broken shore lines, usually in 20-30 fow casting towards shore using jigs. Pumpkin always works.
 
I fish for Bass and Walleye the same as Ryan . If I want to focus more on Walleye I will use the same color as Sealegs, Chartreuse w/black flake and piece of night crawler { Wayne's recommendation} on 1/4--3/8 oz. jigheads and maintain more bottom contact. We caught more Walleye in May in the south end last year than we had in previous years. The quality of the Smallmouth was better last May also, thanks to Wayne's
many years of working on improving the fishery.
 
Walleye can be caught year round trolling plateaus at 20 to 30 feet on lead core with broke back rapalas in Brown trout colors morning and evening they then drop off the edge and you need lipped divers firetiger works well or down riggers with rapalas. Worm harnesses also work well. The North shallow end of bullfrog bay also holds alot of walleye. Just stay 5 feet of so off the bottom.
Edit speeds are faster than you think 1.9 to 2.3.
 
I don’t start fishing powell until they shut off the kokanee at the flaming gorge. I then fish until may 15, because I hate drunks and wake boarders. Especially drunk wake boarders. You can do well in the winter months over in halls creek between 30-50 ft. I use down riggers and go from point to point at bullfrog behind the marina to the channel markers. It is amazing how many stripers hang out there at about 100 ft deep. I also catch more walleye between the painted wall and last chance running the channel.

I use relative large lures to cull my fish. My average size walleye is generally larger than 20 in. I don’t fish for walleye because,I don’t like the way that they fight. I seem to catch quite a few every trip though.
Just as a side note, last January I hooked probably a 35 in pike at the bay of good hope. I was running about 50 ft down. I didn’t boat her, but got her with in 5ft of the boat. Not my largest pike, but was quite shocking to hook one at powell.

If you ever see me at bullfrog, don’t hesitate to ask me where I am catching anything. I have the big artic fox slide in with a Burgundy thunder jet. The guys loading boats at bullfrog have saved my trips several times. Lake Powell will take me 50 years just to learn the north end.
 
Striper Slayer said:
"Used to have a lake close to us that was full of them until northerns were introduced illegally, walleyes are hard to find now. I hope to figure them out at Powell. Thanks for the info."
Dorwood, would that be Yuba?
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Yes, I used to catch a limit of 2 to 5 pound fish after work and be home and cleaned up by 9. Those were the good old days on YUBA. Actually the floods of 82 introduced them from Redmond but it sure screwed up the great fishing we had. You must live fairly close to me to know about that lake!
 
Dworwood said:
Yes, I used to catch a limit of 2 to 5 pound fish after work and be home and cleaned up by 9. Those were the good old days on YUBA. Actually the floods of 82 introduced them from Redmond but it sure screwed up the great fishing we had. You must live fairly close to me to know about that lake!
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The notherns did away with the thousands of 12-14 inch perch that we used to pull out of there.
 
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