Water temps for walleyes

[oldman55]

What kind of water temp do we need to get the walleye active at Willard? and wher is the best place to start looking for them?
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]By "active" are you referring to the spawn? That usually occurs at about 43 to 45 degrees. But, as soon as the ice is off and there is even a couple of degrees of warming...say up to about 40 degrees...the fish go on a "prespawn" feed. That is usually a better time to get some big fish than during the spawn, when they are not eating.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]During the spawn, most of the fish caught legally (not "dorsal diners") are smaller and more aggressive males. They are not feeding as much as defending territory and trying to drive off intruders. That includes anglers lures that get close enought to chomp on.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The best time to catch walleyes anywhere is about two to four weeks after the spawn is over...lasting until summertime water temps get over about 70 degrees. Once the fish are through with the "spring fling", they stabilize and then begin feeding actively to replace energy and weight lost during the non-feeding spawning period.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There are already prespawn fish being taken around Utah Lake. Best spots are Lindon, American Fork Boat Harbor, the end of the jetties at Provo Boat Harbor, The mouth of the Spanish Fork River and the ever-popular Lincoln Beach.[/#0000ff]

[#0000ff]For those who think they have it dialed in, you need to know that the water levels are way higher than they have been at any point in the last few years. All of your favorite wading spots are several feet deeper, and the rocky structure that held fish in years past is deeper than the fish usually like for spawning. So, you might have to do some searching to locate this year's hot spots.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I haven't been out yet. As soon as Mama Nature settles down for a day or two, I plan to correct that oversight. Mid February is usually a starting point, and the first of March is almost always a good bet. Once the fish start coming in, the word gets out fast and you can plan on lots of company wherever you decide to go.[/#0000ff]

[#0000ff]Willard Bay is another matter. However, in years past, mid March is a good time to start throwing plastics around the edges of the rocks. I am sure that as more boats get out from the north marina, trolling for wipers, that some walleyes will start showing up too. The south marina is still closed to launching. Too bad. There is sometimes some good walleye fishing on either side of the channel along the rocks early in the year.[/#0000ff]
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[oldman55]

Thanks Tubedude I didnt know about the prespawn feed I guess we are all geting prespawn feezer. Do thhe walleyes go up the channel to spawn, or both on the rocks and up the channel?
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]They definitely go up the channel to spawn in the flowing water. That's why they close the channel to fishing for a couple of months. In the "olden days" it got to be shoulder to shoulder with snaggers using the "Willard Bay Dry Flies" (weighted treble hooks).[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The good news is that the walleyes also spawn all around the lake over the tops of wave washed rocks. A lot of fair weather walleye lovers head for home when the wind comes up, but that is when the wallies start snuggling on the rocks. There are several areas around the lake that are well known to attract frisky eyes. [/#0000ff]
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[Kraizee_Skot]

[font "Comic Sans MS"][#ff4040]Lincoln beach is a pretty good place to grab some decent sized males for dinner during the spawn. Sometimes you get lucky and even get a hen or two, but I usually like to return those to the water during that period of time. Or sometimes I string her up and use her as my "escort"[] for the males and then let her go after the party.[/#ff4040][/font]
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Dang it, Scot. You shouldn't tell all of your secrets. Now we'll have a bunch of rednecks out there tiein' up female walleyes, putting lipstick and false eyelashes on them, net stockings and all that. Poor little old male walleyes don't have a chance. How can they resist all that charm?[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I know that works. I have seen males roll all over a female on a stringer. Sounds kinda unethical though. And, I don't think I would recommend releasing the female after stressing her out on a stringer for awhile.[/#0000ff]
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[cat_man]

not to mention it begin illegal to release any fish once it has been on a stringer.
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[Coldfooter]

Back in the day when a person could wander the river banks during the run it was easy to target the mass of males escorting the hens with a streamer.. Easy pickin's []

As far as hooking the hens to a stringer..
I could be wrong but I believe once attached to the stringer its illegal to release a fish and it becomes a part of the keepers under the no culling regs.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]I knew there was a GOOD reason why you shouldn't release a fish after keeping it on a stringer. Thanks for pointing that out. Just because the professional bass boys do it (culling) on TV is no reason why Utah should allow it.[/#0000ff]
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[kastmaster]

From what I can read from the procs, our warmwater fishes may not be covered by the culling regs. Section IV-C part b says: (b) Once a trout, salmon or grayling is held in or on a stringer, fish basket, livewell, or by any other device, a trout, salmon or grayling may not be released. So, like TD said about using the hens as attractants for the males, it may not be illegal, but could be unethical. It may be time for a change.
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[Kraizee_Skot]

[font "Comic Sans MS"][#ff4040]It's all good Pat. I don't mind anybody knowing my spots. Like I always say walleye fishing is not a lucky mans sport. I will even offer the "right" colored jig also.[/#ff4040][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#ff4040]I usually let the hen go, because I usually get dirty looks if I haul her off to dinner with me. Some guys are not too kosher with the idea of taking a hen home at that time.[/#ff4040][/font]
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Well, I know I will stir things up with my next statements. I THINK MORE BIG FEMALES SHOULD BE HARVESTED FROM UTAH LAKE...SPAWN OR NOT. What's the difference if you take home a female in April or in June. They are still removed from the gene pool and the predator lineup.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Right now the walleyes are the dominant species of predator in the lake. There are more carp, but the walleyes are eating themselves and the white bass out of house and home. Leaving the large walleyes in the lake is increasing the predation on the thinning population of white bass. Last year most of the longer walleyes were very skinny because they are not finding enough white bass to feed on. So far this year, the reports are not much better.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I hate to say it but I think that Utah Lake is going to turn into another Yuba. The walleyes are going to destroy their food base and the whole shebang will crash. Not there yet, but unless the white bass are able to pull off a couple of good spawns, with good survival rates, it don't look good.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Soooooooo...it wouldn't really hurt the fishery to extract a few spawning mama walleyes. I have always questioned the logic of the limit of one fish over 20". To the best of my knowledge, Utah is the only walleye state to have wacko regs like that. In the first place, there are not that many large females caught by the "average" Utah angler. Second, if the population of larger walleyes is greater than that of the smaller ones, there is a lot more predation on the available food resources, and they eat larger size whities, bluegills, crappies and even catfish too. It takes a lot more calories to sustain a big fish.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Back to the topic. I hear you on the "right" jigs. You can hand out your prime stuff all day, but all the amateurs wanna do is snag them in the rocks and accuse you of giving them the wrong stuff.[/#0000ff]
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[XxWaLLeyexX]

[] whatever i catch i'll release it in my tummy [laugh] its ok to keep 1 hen... theres alot more in the lake..just her meat will be soggy..the males usually have more meat in em'
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[fsh4fun05]

Do utah lake walleyes stage way out in open water or do they hang out near inlets untill temp is right? If the latter, will they go back out from our recent snow storm or stick it out?
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[Kraizee_Skot]

[font "Comic Sans MS"][#ff4040]I'm with you on this one Pat. I really never got the regs of 1 fish over 20" either, doesn't really make sense to me. Most of the fish I catch are always over the 20" limit. People should use common sense too. If you harvested all the small fish, then there are only large ones...what will they eat? Of course they are going to eat the smaller fish, since they are the dominant prdator in UL.[/#ff4040][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#ff4040]I have also noticed that there have been alot more eyes within the last couple years. They are not as scarce as before. Last year between Gee an I we must have caught about 1000+ walleyes. That's not bragging, and most of them were returned back to the lake (20"+ fish). It's just a simple fact that there are tons of BIG eyes in UL, we need to somehow even out the numbers between the larger fish and the smaller ones.[/#ff4040][/font]
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[XxWaLLeyexX]

i went out to LB today..and the water was COLD!!! the marina look frozen but i wasnt sure..didnt drive down to see it..fished with some people...they say they catch a couple here and there......
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]I can't answer for other walleye fans, but my experience has been that the "early" eyes can be caught in the same areas that they will be spawning when the water is warmer. However, I have never done especially well at the mouths of the tributaries they use for spawning. It seems like they cruise around the lake, eating what they can, and then when conditions of temperature and moon phase are right they shoot up the streams.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Right now, water temperatures can be a big factor in finding willing wallies. There are lots of springs around Utah Lake, but they have not been flowing as heavily as in years past. I don't know whether agricultural use has dropped the water tables or whether the recent drought years have been a factor, but there is simply not the amount of warming water coming into the lake as in past years.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If you can locate a spring, and it brings the surrounding water up even a couple of degrees, every species in the lake will gravitate toward it during cold water periods, like ice out. That means that the white bass, bluegills and other smaller species will be there. The walleyes will follow both for the food and the added degrees of warmth.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If the daytime temperatures start climbing again next week, and the lake temp does too, every degree increase can make a difference in walleye activity. That's why the best fishing this time of year is often late afternoon and evening. That's when the water temps are the highest for the day.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The short answer? You will find fish scattered all over the lake, but the most willing biters are likely to be close to traditional non-flowing spawning areas. These include the rock dikes around harbors, brushy and rocky areas along the west side and along the Lincoln Beach areas. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Once the actual spawning run is underway, you can sometimes intercept "staging" walleyes or those actively moving toward the mouths of streams, by fishing just off the outlets into the lake.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There are a few fish being taken daily, by "dedicated" wallieologists, but the angler success ratios will go up after about March 1.[/#0000ff]
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