How to catch walleye · Mid-May to September
Where walleye are each month, how deep, what to throw and when to go, in plain English. It’s how we fish Sydney and Kilburn, and it works on most Canadian Shield lakes. — Jeb
Start here
Learn these six and you’ll catch walleye in any month. The monthly game plans below build on them.
1
Walleye see far better than their prey in dim light. Dawn, dusk, wind and clouds are your friends, and the last hour before sunset is often the best of the day.
2
In Sydney’s clear main lake, walleye sit deeper and bite best at low light. In tea-stained Kilburn and the back bays, they stay shallow and bite more of the day.
3
Hook the minnow in the mouth and out the gill, then back through the opposite side through the spine, so it stays put on the jig.
4
When the sun is high, fish the shady side of steep breaks. Walleye avoid bright light and slide into the shade of the drop.
5
Walleye hold where two things meet: the edge of a weedline, the lip where a flat drops off, the upwind face of a reef, the top of a narrows.
6
After a front blows through, drop to a 1/8 oz jig and a smaller bait, slide a little deeper, and slow everything down.
Month by month
Pick your month for the game plan: where to look, how deep, what to throw and when to go.
Depths are where most walleye sit on Sydney Lake. Kilburn’s darker water can run shallower early in the summer, and by August its walleye sit about 18–28 ft. The biggest fish often sit a little deeper than the pack.
Mid–late May · Water 45–55°F
Walleye just finished spawning and they’re starving. They sit shallow, close to where they spawned, and once the water hits 50°F they’ll eat a slow jig all day.
Jeb’s play
Find 50°F water. Fish the warmest dark bay you can find, and fish it shallower than you expect. The main lake can wait till summer.
June · Water 55–68°F
Walleye spread out over the mud flats in the tea-stained bays and feed hard. Late in the month the mayflies hatch, the fish gorge, and you have to slow way down.
Jeb’s play
When the mayflies are popping, don’t panic. The walleye are full, not gone. Slide out to the edge of the mud flat, go smaller and slower, and keep your bait right in their face.
July · Water 68–75°F
Walleye move out to main-lake structure: reefs, sunken islands and rocky points. The wind is your best friend this month.
Jeb’s play
Fish the wind. Pick the reef the wind is blowing into and start on the windy side. That’s where the baitfish get pushed, and that’s where the biggest walleye feed.
August · Water 68–73°F
Walleye go deeper and school up on mid-lake humps. Find one and you’ve usually found a bunch.
Jeb’s play
Don’t fish your June spots. Rent a Garmin at camp, cruise the humps till you see fish, and drop a marker on your first walleye. Where there’s one, there’s a school.
September · Water 55–64°F
The water cools, walleye stack up on steep breaks, and they’re the heaviest of the season. Our biggest walleye of 2025, a 31 in fish, came in September.
Jeb’s play
Find the depth band and stay in it. If you catch one at 27 ft, the rest are at 27 ft too. Use the troll control to hold the boat right on top of them.
Tackle
Walleye fishing is simple. One small box covers the whole season. See the full packing and tackle list.
Myths and mistakes
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The right spot, depth and speed matter way more. Pick a colour for the water clarity and move on.
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Not in stained water, on windy reefs or in current. Kilburn bites all day.
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Some of the biggest feed on wind-blown reef tops in just a few feet of water.
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The fish are full, not gone. Fish the mud-flat edges and slow down.
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Plastics often beat bait on aggressive late-summer schools. Bait shines after a cold front and on fussy fish.
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Walleye travel in schools. No bites in 20 minutes? Move till you find them, then slow down and stay.
Keep and release
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