Water Types
Walleyes originally began as river fish and the species has certainly not forsaken its original environment. Indeed the walleye has retained its basic nature, existing in countless rivers as it has for centuries. Suitable stretches of rivers are those that can be classified as "middle of the road" or "middle aged," i.e., with sand and/or gravel bottoms, a channel bed, some aquatic weed growth, and deep pools with the odd rock outcropping. These rivers are not suited to the spawning needs of cold-water species such as the trout family, but can support cool- and warm-water game fish such as smallmouth, northerns, and walleyes.
Lakes, of course, attract the main bulk of angling pressure. These lakes come in a great variety of different geological types, as explained in the introductory unit. Walleye in young lakes or oligotrophic lakes are lower in numbers but larger in size. The lower numbers are a result of the poor quality of the water but this is offset by the lunker proportions, well in excess of ten pounds as a result of the high-protein quality of the forage, such as ciscoe and tullibee. At the other end of the scale, the old or eutrophic lake can support naturally reproducing or stocked populations of walleyes of average size (usually one to four pounds). There are, however, some lakes in this category that will produce eight- to 14-pound fish, but not in great numbers. (Figure 3-1.)
The ideal walleye lake is the middleaged or mesotrophic lake. The outstanding qualities of this lake include semi-clear water, medium fertility, good weed growth, and moderate depths. Mesos house lots of walleyes from two to eight pounds, with a fair number of ten-pound and over specimens. (Figure 3-2.)
A number of large meso lakes can be relatively shallow but quite wide. These lakes are subject to enough wind and wave action to prevent bottom stagnation, making the bottom livable for fish throughout the year. In these lakes, walleyes usually establish themselves as the dominant fish, cohabiting with a variety of fish including perch, northern pike, suckers, and occasionally bass and sunfish.
