Eastern Washington’s Cold-Water Walleye: How to catch big walleye during winter
Most anglers view walleye as a "warmwater" species that is best targeted during the Inland Northwest’s short summer season, which runs from sometime in May through mid-October. There’s truth in that mentality: The most productive walleye fishing typically occurs when water temperatures are close to 60 degrees Fahrenheit. But diehard walleye anglers fish through winter because, as they might say, “Winter is when the ‘big girls’ are caught.”
Walleye are distributed throughout eastern Washington’s Columbia River system, ranging from the Canadian border to Portland, Oregon. There are big walleye to be found throughout the system and, in fact, some anglers expect the next world-record walleye to be caught on the Columbia, somewhere between Chief Joseph Dam and John Day Dam. Additionally, walleye can be found in a number of eastern Washington lakes, including Banks, Moses, Potholes, and Soda. While winter walleye can be caught from shore at a few select locations this is largely a boat angler's pursuit.
Cold-Water Walleye Seasons: Transitions and The Deep Freeze
I divide the cold-water walleye season into two distinct periods—the transitions and the deep freeze. The "transitions" are the periods during late fall and early spring when water temperature and daylight shift. That change of seasons initiates aggressive feeding and puts walleye on the move as they migrate to wintering grounds, or as they prepare to transition into a spawning phase. During the transition, my preferred approach is trolling.
Walleye can be schizophrenic during this time. They may hug the bottom tightly while they pursue crayfish or perch, or they may take advantage of the planting of kokanee salmon and trout fingerlings or smolts in the open water. The successful winter walleye angler should prepare to slow-troll for the bottom huggers and fast troll for more aggressive fish that roam the flats or suspend in open water.
Cold-Water Walleye on Crankbaits
When fishing winter walleye I start by trolling deep-diving crankbaits, that reach 15 feet deep or more. I run these at 1.7-to 2 miles per hour in 20 to 30-feet of water. My reasoning is simple—I take larger walleye on crank baits than any other method.
Weedlines adjacent to drop-offs are great places to troll crankbaits in late fall. As winter arrives the weeds recede. When that happens, I look for areas of stagnant water adjacent to moving water where walleye ambush prey, as well as deepwater humps and ledges 40 feet down. Reaching that depth is only possible with downriggers, lead core lines, or inline trolling weights.
Favorite crankbaits for this Eastern Washington fishery include Berkley's Flicker Minnow and Flicker Shad, Brad's Wigglers, and Rapala's Taildancers. In my tackle box, you will find these lures in a variety of colors, some mimicking natural prey, such as crayfish or yellow perch. However, some of my favorite colors are purple, black, chartreuse, and firetiger. I'll liberally coat each with crayfish, anise, nightcrawler, or other gamefish scents from Pro-Cure or Atlas Mike’s Lunker Lotion.
If I am marking fish on my electronics, but not producing in the first hour or two on the water, I shift tactics. The crankbaits get stowed and replaced with bottom-walkers and crawler rigs. Two-to four-ounce bottom-walkers get your gear to the bottom and keep it in contact with the bottom without paying out a lot of line. Attached to the bottom-walker I run four to five feet of 10-pound fluorocarbon leader with a Mack's Smile or #3 Colorado blade with seven 5mm beads stacked in front of a size 1 or 1/0 Mustad Slow Death Hook. Color preferences are similar to those mentioned for crankbaits.
A properly threaded nightcrawler on a Slow Death hook spins at ultra-slow speeds. For these finicky bottom hugging walleye, a slow presentation seems to be key. Trolling speeds below one mile an hour is critical—you want just enough speed to the crawler rig spinning. Short strikes are common when doing this, so be sure to check your bait frequently and have a couple dozen nightcrawlers on-hand at the beginning of the day.
Want to trigger lethargic fish? Grab Mack’s Smile Blade Slow Death Rig.
Eventually returns on trolling diminish as water temperatures plunge into the mid-40s and lower. During the "deep freeze" walleye metabolism drops and their willingness to pursue a crankbait or crawler rig decreases. That is not to say you can't catch walleye trolling in cold water. In fact, if you do catch one it’s likely to be a dandy. But I’ve found jigging to be way more effective than trolling when the water is really cold.
Jigging For Winter Walleye
When jigging I'll use my electronics to locate fish holding on structure, meaning reefs, ledges, and seams. Holding position over them can be challenging in current or wind, but is made easier with the use of a trolling motor and drift socks. If fish are spread out, a slow drift while jigging allows anglers to effectively cover a larger area.
For jigging lures, I keep it simple. Lead-head jigs in 3/8 ounce to 1/2 ounce, painted in black or chartreuse with a threaded nightcrawler, are deadly. Drop to the bottom, give a half crank, and work with short jigging motions. Less is more in this scenario. Another method I've found particularly effective in Lake Roosevelt is simply dragging the jig along the bottom at a slow speed as I drift in the wind. If the rod feels heavy, set the hook—it’ll be a fish more often than a rock. Prop-style whistler jigs or blade baits can be deadly as well, and it's always good to have a few on hand.
One reason I enjoy walleye fishing is the challenge of it. I learn more about these fish every time I hit the water in pursuit of them. For me the reward goes beyond stocking my freezer with delicious white fillets. Wrapping your hands around a golden 25-plus inch fish is an experience worth pursuing, and one that is more likely to occur in cold-water conditions.
In the beginning temper, your expectations. Limits come easy to the experienced walleye angler, but the "pros" go home empty-handed on occasion, too. To build your confidence and enjoy a good fish fry try targeting Lake Roosevelt or Potholes Reservoir where large populations of walleye favor your odds of connecting with fish. As you grow more experienced and look to land that trophy fish look to the mid-Columbia near Umatilla or any of the tailout waters below major dams on the Columbia. Undocumented fish weighing over 20 pounds are said to have been taken here. Lurking somewhere in the swirling currents of this powerful river, in my opinion, is the next world record walleye.
Need more fishing articles in your life? Check out this one on deep jigging for mackinaw.