13 Facts Every Novice Fisherman Should Know About Walleye Fishing in Ontario
Ontario Canada is a fisherman’s paradise. We have plenty of fish in a full spectrum of species and more than ample lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams. And we enjoy all of this in spectacular, pristine Canadian wilderness. Here are 13 facts about walleye fishing in Ontario to entice you, the novice fisherman, to come visit us and experience this for yourself.
- Over 70,000 lakes and rivers in northwestern Ontario are waiting for you to cast your line.
Most of the inhabitants in this part of the province are fish. People here are vastly out-numbered. You will never have to compete with crowds of boats on the water for the fishing spot you want.
- Ontario has 20 fishery management zones, and each has its own regulations.
Ontario has too many bodies of water to have one set of regulations to manage all the fish populations in all those bodies of water. Having 20 fishery management zones allows more specific management of fish populations. You can go to Ontario’s website (https://www.ontario.ca/document/ontario-fishing-regulations-summary) and look up those fishing regulations. However, staff at local fishing resorts should be up-to-date with their lake’s and river’s fishing regulations and can help you prepare and stay legal.
- Walleyes are aggressive predator fish.
It does take some skill to catch walleye, or it wouldn’t be very much fun. But a novice fisherman (or woman) can use this aggressive behavior to their advantage. Walleye will hit on many ways you can present your hook. Also, after they have eaten most of their natural prey in your lake, your bait or lure becomes very tempting.
- Walleye are easy to identify.
A lot of fish families have more than one species, making it difficult for the novice fisherman to identify what they have caught. Walleye has only one species which makes it simple to identify. There are two dorsal (on top) fins. The anterior (towards the head) has stronger spines than the second one behind it. There is a dark area at the base (back) of the anterior dorsal fin. There is a white spot on the bottom of the tail. But a really telling feature of Walleyes is their eyes because they are pearlescent. This is caused by a reflective pigment layer on the eyes.
- Walleye can grow to be 35” in length and weigh up to 20 pounds.
That was a historical catch that hasn’t been matched in a while in most lakes and rivers. Most caught walleye aren’t nearly this big. Anything over 25” is a large trophy fish. There are lots of big walleye in Lake Savant and other Ontario lakes. You have an excellent chance of catching one yourself.
- Walleyes hang out in the deep spots in the lake, but hunt in the shallows.
You can catch them in both places. A lot of their prey are in the shallows, around weed beds and coarse rock with hiding places. However, after a weather front passes and the sky is clear, walleye often sink back into the deep areas where you can catch them with live bait.
- Fishing for walleyes at night can be productive.
There are two reasons for this. Walleyes are nocturnal predators and they are photosensitive.
- Live minnows are traditional bait for walleye, but soft plastics should be in your tackle box.
The newest soft plastic bait looks like and imitates live bait and now has scents and flavors. Plastics have an advantage over live bait because they come in colors that are attractive to fish. These can also be more visible in Ontario waters. They also stay on the hook better when you cast them.
- Walleyes spawn in the spring when temperatures are between 38oF and 45oF.
What this means for you is that the males (mostly) will be in the shallows close to the bottom in cover. The females will be a bit deeper, but nearby. They will be hungry and aggressive. This is a great time for novice fishermen to be on the lake. The females are larger than the males, so move off a bit from the shallows if you want the bigger walleye.
A word of caution: be aware of when it’s open season and closed season for the fishery management zone your waterway is in. It is illegal to fish during closed seasons, and each of the 20 fishery management zones in Ontario have their own regulations.
- In the summer, after the spawn, Walleyes return to the deep.
This is especially true during the day. However, as with any fishing tip offered by experienced fishermen, no rule is set in stone. You will often still have luck in the summer in a patch of weeds or coarse rock that offers cover for walleye.
- Fishing in the fall is more challenging, but often more rewarding.
The challenge is that this is a transitional period for the temperature of the water in the lake. Walleye can be a bit more difficult to find. The colder it gets, the deeper they go. Generally. However, when you do find them, they will be aggressive because they are trying to get fat for the winter. Don’t be intimidated because you could catch the fish of your dreams in the fall.
- Walleyes change behavior day vs night as well as across the seasons.
We have discussed fishing for walleye in the spring, summer, and fall and how their behavior changes generally. They also behave differently at night than they do during the day. We mentioned earlier that walleye have a reflective pigment on their eyes. This gives them a predatory edge at night. This is when they do a lot of their hunting. They like to hunt minnows. Minnows swim in the shallows. Walleyes chase them there at night.
During the day, walleyes are somewhat sensitive to the bright light in shallow water. That is when they tend to hang out in the deeper parts of the lake. You can still catch walleye during the middle of the day but try looking for them in the depths.
- Walleyes change their behavior according to the weather as well.
Troll the bottom of the lake if a storm has made the water of the lake murky.
If the sky and water are clear, the walleye will likely be hiding in the weeds or other places where they can find cover.
Wildewood on Lake Savant is a fishing adventure resort located in remote wilderness of Ontario, Canada. Andy Kerecman manages a blog (https://wildewoodonlakesavant.com/about-resort/blog/) that celebrates the pristine landscape around the lake and the amazing trophy fishing that can be had.