From lakes to reservoirs, walleyes can be found relating to shallow water structure, early in the open water season. Good shallow fish attracting structure, includes rocks, weeds, timber, as well as sand flats and breaks, depending on what s available. One of the first things on their little minds, after a lake has finally shed it s last layer of ice, is getting on with the annual spawning ritual. Incoming creeks and rivers are the first to see any major spawning run, and can accelerate the spawning season by three weeks or more. Creeks and rivers are the first areas to warm up, and the main reason for the early action.
Rocky shorelines are the nest area to see spawning activity, followed by offshore reefs and bars.
From the time the first walleyes show up in an incoming creek, until the last fish complete their duties on a deeper offshore reef, three or four weeks may have passed. The thing to keep in mind is that groups of fish can be found in all different phases of the spawning cycle, at the same time. One of the keys to early season success is finding the areas that hold the largest, and most active schools of fish. With the shallow water fact having been established, it gets down to just exactly which shallow areas to key on. Everything being equal, look for areas that may be warmer than the rest, even if it s only a degree or two.