Fall Walleye Patterns

You've gotta love the fall season: The air is crisp, thefeeding.
leaves are falling, football season starts, and thereAs late fall hits, the Walleye will suddenly perk up
sure aren't as many anglers out on the water.some and become active again.
Sounds like a great time to go fishing!They may move closer to the surface, and feed
(Not that there are all that many times when it isn't aaggressively.
great time to get out and go fishing!)This is their final feeding binge until winter is over, and
Anglers who enjoy fishing for Walleye may think thatthe fish seem to understand that soon the lakes will
it is time to put away the rod and reel, as well as theice over.
boat, just because fall rolls around, but this doesn'tDuring this time the Walleye may be found in shallow
have to be the case.water near the shoreline, because this is where the
Fall can be one of the most rewarding Walleye fishingbaitfish and other food sources will be the most
times for anglers who understand the patterns thatabundant.
the fish follow, and use this knowledge to theirOnce this activity is over, the fish go back into slow
advantage.mode.
As summer ends the weather starts to cool, and soAs the water gets colder and the fish move deeper
does the water. Knowing the patterns to follow willand farther away from shore, their daily migration
not guarantee a successful fishing trip, because noaround the water body will slow.
matter what season it is the Walleye are famous forThey will still follow the pattern, it will just be at a
being unpredictable.deeper level and slower pace. During the late fall the
It will increase the odds of success in your favorWalleye can usually be located towards the center of
though, and contribute to more Walleye being caught.the lake, or in deeper parts of the river where there
When the water cools back down, the fish start tois plenty of cover and oxygen.
prepare for the colder weather.Once the cold hits, the Walleye can seem to shut
They will go deeper in the lake or water, and can bedown quickly, leaving many anglers frustrated as
found as far as fifty feet down, with an average ofthey head home empty handed.
twenty five feet and lower. The fish also start toThis does not have to be the case though, because
slow more, because of the cool temperatures, butlearning the migration and travel patterns of the
they are preparing for one last feeding frenzy beforeWalleye during the different stages of fall can help
fall turns into winter and the northern lakes freezeyou catch more fish.
over.Look for deep dropoffs, and areas where the
The fall patterns may vary slightly between warmerbottom dips or slopes down significantly, as well as
lakes and those which freeze first, but the pattern isdeep underwater structure.
followed the same it is just on a different timeline,During the fall months this is normally where you will
because of the difference in water temperatures.find the Walleye, and have better success at
The metabolism of the fish will start to slow, andcatching them.
they will not move as much or be as active at