Spring Walleye Fishing
Canadian Walleye Opener
The Ontario Walleye Opener for 2011 is on the Saturday the 21st of May. The ice goes out on Sydney Lake on the average year between the 25th of April and 10th of May. During the walleye pre-spawn, spawning and post spawn the fish populations are the most concentrated that you will see all year. The date of the opener is set to coincide with the approximate completion of walleye spawning - and is when the "bite" really gets on. The camp is open on the day before the walleye opener on Friday the 20th of May. Fly-in on Friday or Saturday morning - you pick the time and get prepared for the morning of the first day of the season.
Walleye Spawning
The walleye spawn soon after ice out, when the water temperature warms to about 40F. Pre-spawn walleyes hang out in about 25 to 30 feet of water and move shallower to spawn. Walleyes are the last fish to spawn and will travel to upstream areas including creeks and bays. There they look for rocky or gravel areas to lay their eggs. Walleyes from all over the lake will concentrate in the best spawning areas such as Mineral and Hansen's Bays and have the heaviest concentration of fish in the 3 to 10 foot depths. Not all fish spawn at the same time - the spawn is spread out as water temperatures range from 40F to 45F. The peak spawning time each day is from dusk until midnight. As dark water warms quicker than clear water, and shallow - faster than deep, the walleyes will be in different stages on different parts of the lake.
May Walleye Fishing
Fishing Walleyes in May the first thing you want to know is what's the water temperature? The magic number that you are looking for is 50 F. That's the temperature where the walleyes really become active. The water temperature difference between the camp and dark shallow bays is often about 10F. Since weather can very from year to year and affect ice out times a few tips will make it faster to get good action fast. Pre spawn walleyes are found deeper at 25-30 feet. They will be close to streams and rocky areas. The fish will be in large concentrations and feeding actively, jigs and crank baits work best. During the spawn the fish pack into shallower water usually at the end of the day - evening fishing works best - look to work the edges of incoming creeks and shallow areas where new cabbage is starting to grow. Wind direction can affect water temperatures in bays and inlets and remember to check the temperature a few feet below surface as there may be a significant difference in just a couple of feet. After the walleyes have spawned they are really hungry - they must replace all the energy that they have expelled, and are packed in heavy concentrations.June Walleye Fishing
When you take your first spring walleye fishing trip to Sydney Lake you will be hooked. Sydney Lake has over 120 miles of Shoreline including numerous dark water bays. This is where the action starts in the spring. The walleyes spawn in early may after ice out. After they have spent all that energy, they are hungry. I'd like to point out a couple of my favourites. Mineral and Tranquility bays at the north end of Sydney Lake are quite shallow and both have creeks running into them, this is perfect conditions for spring, these bays teem with walleye in June and into Early July. These are great places for 50 to 100 or more walleyes per day. I got to tell you it makes your arms sore. Hansen's Bay is another Hot spot, there is a large flat area when you enter the bay, beside a small island. the question is how fast can you catch them. another great spot is Boot Lake. in years with high water (most years lately) you can drive your boat up a wide creek from the entrance of Bottle Bay to a narrow rock cut and into boot lake (no portage). In the creek at the bottom of the rock cut and at the far end by a small waterfalls. Boot Lake has dark water and its shallow. The water heats up fast and in late May and Early June this makes the walleyes active, especially in the early evening. At the waterfall it is fun to cast one way and get a walleye and the other for a Pike. Oh yeah - there's big ones in here too. We can mark these and many more spots on your waterproof lake maps along with great Northern Pike, Lake Trout and Shore lunch spots.
Spring Trophy Walleyes
Catching massive walleyes in the spring is exhilarating with that cold water and extra fight. The best results over the years have beet from two methods. The first is crank baits - think rapallas and rattle traps. both casting and trolling often where the shallow water meets the deep. When you have some good action in a spot try a few casts with a rapallla towards deeper water. The second method is to go big and go deep - try 1/2oz to 1 oz jigs with large baits in 25 to 30 feet of water throw on big double tails of the largest rubber worms you got. Jig it and troll it 25-100 feet (make sure the depth is not more than about 35 feet) from where the break to deeper water is.
Spring Walleye Tips
Spring walleye fishing is usually quite shallow with depths of 3-8 feet on average. Make sure you check the water temperature as this is key to predicting the walleye activity - 50F - 53F is where you want to be. Protected bays, creek mouths and small lakes like Boot Lake are the most active. The trick to catching lots of walleyes is to keep your line in the water - this means quick release of the fish - barbless or pinched barbs work best. Single hooks only and a handful of jigs is your best bet. You can catch fish after fish here for hours as long as you keep your line in the water and stay on top of the large schools. 1/8 to 3/8 oz jigs are recommended with minnows, twisters or other artificial baits. Anchoring is recommended while jigging or try trolling in tight circles with spinners. All you do to find the fish is to start to troll down the shore - all of a sudden - WHAM you get one, then your partner, and again and again. This is when you stay put - fish hard and enjoy. Our friendly staff will be pleased to mark your waterproof fishing maps where these spots are.
Detailed Walleye Fishing Information
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