Thread: March Brings the Walleye Spawn

Originally Posted by Craig Johnson

I often hear folks discussing 'March Madness', but when I hear that particular term I always think about walleye. In Kansas, the walleye spawn begins in March. District Fisheries Biologists across the state are currently engaged in walleye egg taking operations to supply fertilized walleye, saugeye, and sauger eggs to the state fish hatcheries to produce fry and fingerlings for stocking in state managed waters.

I understand that some folks like basketball, but I've yet to hear of anyone being able to set the DVR to record the walleye spawn or catching a nice 'eye from the comfort of the couch! If you've been waiting for the spawn, the time is now.

Here's two pictures from last week.

Big boys! A couple of 21-inch plus males waiting on the lady 'eyes.
Attachment 85836

Big girl! A female of this size will have around 120,000 eggs. Fish like this is what keeps all those males hanging around the spawning areas!
Attachment 85839

If you're looking for a way to pass the time before the crappie spawn, grab a rod and hit a rocky shoreline at your local walleye fishery. You can catch the basketball highlights after you get home!

This thread is from 2012 but it contains some info that applies to 2013 as well. Thought some of the new guys may have missed this last year...

Fish On!!

Thanks for bringing it back to the top. I'm one of the guys that missed it last year.

Craig,

Nice reading but do walleyes prefer the big rocks as in the dam area? Should they not be in any rocky areas in the lakes? I am just thinking of all the rocky areas at Clinton and what type of rocks would be the best target.

Zeepo

Originally Posted by Craig Johnson

This thread is from 2012 but it contains some info that applies to 2013 as well. Thought some of the new guys may have missed this last year...

Fish On!!

Hey Craig, just thought I'd ask your opinion on keeping walleyes during the spawn.....keep the males only and release all females?? What you think will have an influence on how I view future catch and keep or catch and release options ( not that I'm ever a threat to the future populations of walleyes....dang hard to catch for me). Thanks for your input.....you guys do a great job for all us fishers!

Originally Posted by slabby joe

Hey Craig, just thought I'd ask your opinion on keeping walleyes during the spawn.....keep the males only and release all females?? What you think will have an influence on how I view future catch and keep or catch and release options ( not that I'm ever a threat to the future populations of walleyes....dang hard to catch for me). Thanks for your input.....you guys do a great job for all us fishers!

Slabby,

If you catch a fish with legal methods and legal means and that fish is legal for harvest (meets length and creel limits for that particular water body) then you can harvest it. KDWPT doesn't have any data that shows that fishing for walleye during the spawn in any way damages the population. There is not any difference in harvesting a female walleye 2 days, 2 weeks, 2 months, or 6 months before the spawn as they are still gone and won't be spawning again. However, some anglers don't see it that way and they believe that a near spawning fish should be released to complete the spawn. Many Kansas reservoirs have poor walleye recruitment from natural spawns so KDWPT stocks walleye to keep the populations at appropriate levels. A few lakes, Marion and Wilson reservoirs for example, do have good natural production from the walleye spawn and these lakes are not stocked often. Fishing is allowed during the walleye spawn and the fish are still able to pull off good spawns and support the population without supplemental stocking.

Fishing during the walleye spawn is the only time during the year that some anglers will have access to walleye. As you know, the spawn brings walleye to shallow, near shore areas giving non-boating anglers a chance to catch walleye that are normally located out of casting distance. Although some large fish can be caught during the spawn, biologically this harvest isn't doing the population any harm. As many have noted on this board, walleye spawn fishing is NOT the best time to catch walleye as they are preoccupied with creating the next year class and catching can be dismally slow. Most concentrated doesn't always equate to great fishing. The spawn is a fairly short time frame and although a lot of anglers participate the fishing is not fast and furious like it is for spawning crappie or white bass.

Now, what should an angler keep during the walleye spawn? That is up to the angler! If your fish is of legal length,you are under your daily creel limit, you are under your possession limit and you want to keep the fish, keep it. If you want to fight the fish to shore, snap some pictures, and turn it loose that is great. Anglers feel strongly on both sides of this subject, but harvest is harvest no matter the time of year. Our walleye populations are closely monitored. If over harvest is occurring then management modifications will be made to keep the population healthy.

Good question Slabby! I hope you catch your monster walleye this year...whether it is during the spawn or on the flats!!

Thanks for the in-depth response Craig. It's appreciated.

Originally Posted by zeepo

Craig,

Nice reading but do walleyes prefer the big rocks as in the dam area? Should they not be in any rocky areas in the lakes? I am just thinking of all the rocky areas at Clinton and what type of rocks would be the best target.

Zeepo

Zeepo,

I must have overlooked your post. I apologize for the late response.

You are correct. Many of the rocky areas around a lake will hold spawning walleye. I would look for rocky shorelines that have deep water near by. A rocky point surrounded by expanses of shallow water wouldn't be my first place to start. But a shallow rocky point that is near a drop to deep water would be a great place to look. Many anglers only target the dam. Other anglers 'chase' the walleye spawn as they do the crappie spawn. Up lake areas will typically warm more quickly than the main lake dam area and some years it is possible to 'chase' the spawn from the upper reaches to the lower lake as the spawn progresses. Walleye will begin cruising the warm water up lake areas before the water warms enough to be attractive at the dam. Many of the other rocky areas do not see the pressure that the dams do and fishing can be better as a result. Walleye will spawn on small gravel to large rip rap and everything in between. Look for 'clean' rock to focus your efforts. Algae covered or slimy rocks aren't as attractive as the clean rock as the walleye want their eggs to stick to the rocks after being fertilized.

The statewide egg collection effort has met its goal and nets have been pulled from all of the lakes. Unless there is a sudden change in hatch rates at the hatchery the nets are done for the year. The Milford crew pulled nets on Friday and the Cedar Bluff and Hillsdale crews pulled on Saturday.

The 2013 collection goals required to produce fry and fingerling walleye, saugeye, and sauger for stocking public fishing waters across the state included the following: 90 million walleye eggs, 14 million saugeye eggs (walleye eggs fertilized with sauger milt), and 2 million sauger eggs.