The sunrise, sunset, and night bite continue to be the best time periods to be on the water for walleyes. Throughout opening night we had many reports of quality fish being caught in the 16-19” range. Big fish have also been reported since opening night. We have seen a 30”, 27 ¾”, 27”, and 25 ¼” brought in. During the night most anglers are working the shallower water, 10ft or less. Shad raps, a jig and minnow, and lighted bobbers with leeches seem to be working best for catching walleyes at this time. Most people have been trying the shallow parts of the reefs and shoreline weed edges in the evening.
Since the water has warmed up about 10 degrees since Friday morning 5/14, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to start working your way a little deeper. The water temperature is currently hovering around the lower 60’s. If your not getting fish shallow, try fishing in the 10-16ft ranges, as the fish will move into their summer patterns. Some areas you might want to consider are Kegs Reef, Cemetery Reef, Center Reef, and Nelsons Flats.
For those of you that are interested in sunnies and crappies, we are still seeing an ongoing bite. The panfish continue to be caught in water depths ranging from 4-12ft. Sorting is necessary in order to find some of the keepers. Try either using a jig with a grub or bobber fishing with a crappie minnow or angleworm. The south shore and northwest side of the lake continue to be the best areas for panfish.
