Many anglers consider ice-fishing for walleyes to be a pleasantly relaxing waste of time. If you are one of those who agree, then you're not doing it right!

Walleye fishing through the hard stuff is challenging, but the rewards are worth the trouble. To begin with, there are two distinct periods that determine general walleye location:

1. Early and Late Ice, and
2. Mid-winter.

For any action during the middle period, you must be on a body of water that will support an active walleye population. If the lake is too shallow, and the temperature at the bottom (where the warmest water is) falls much below 39.2 degrees Fahrenheit when water is most dense, the fish will become fairly dormant and it doesn't matter if you find them or not. So we'll presume your favourite ice-fishing spot has some good depth associated with it.

Rule Number 1: Depths Change

If you're on clear water during the first few weeks of new ice, or late in the season when the snow is melting, walleye will tend to congregate in the 10-20 foot depths. In murky water, they will be shallower, in say, 7-15 feet of water. During the mid-winter period, they will go deeper; 20-40 feet in clear water and 10-20 feet in the murky stuff. Therefore, to be most productive, rule out any areas that do not fall within these basic guidelines.