By Roy Vivian
As a child I was constrained to shore fishing the Rock and Pecatonica Rivers in Northern Illinois, which I truly enjoyed. However, I always dreamed of fishing certain springtime destinations that I read about in magazines and watched on television. Luckily dreams do come true and I am able to fish many of these waters regularly, and out of a state of the art boat which was never in my wildest of dreams.
There are still a number of rivers I haven’t had the opportunity to fish in the spring. This is a bit saddening as two are relatively close to me: The Wolf and Fox Rivers which are both famous for their spring runs. Another one that I have to get to is the Rainy River. Unfortunately, because of my lack of vacation time, I will have to wait on these.
For now, here are my favorite walleye rivers for springtime fun:
Illinois River – Spring Valley, IL
Although walleye are present, the sauger is king. The Illinois River has been on quite a ride for the last 40 years. It went from being almost lifeless, due to industrial pollution prior to the Clean Water Act in 1972, to the Sauger Capital of the World in the late 1980’s. Unfortunately, the Illinois River is facing another challenge this time from asian carp.
The three to four pound saugers, that once were common, have been difficult to find. The good news, at least for the short term, is the bite for overall numbers has been strong the last few years. Reports of 30 to 40 fish over 15” are not uncommon. When fishing the 2012 MWC my partner and I caught over 20 keepers a day, most of which were 16 to 17 inch fish.
Before making the trip, check the river conditions. If the river rises quickly due to recent rains or snowmelt the debris that was washed up along the banks will be in the water and it can make the river almost unfishable. In extreme cases, like the flood in 2007, the river becomes dangerous so watch the river gauges on line or call Time on the Water outdoors, 815-663-1000, in Spring Valley for river conditions.
I have fished the river for at least a week since 2006 usually in the last two weeks of March. Although conditions are different every year I concentrate 90% of my fishing from Hennepin to Peru. As a general rule of thumb if the water is close to or above flood stage I have had success on the upper end of that range. Conversely, when the river is well below flood stage, like in 2012, I have my best success further downstream. Immediately below the Starved Rock Dam, down to the 39 bridge is also very productive.
Every river technique known to man will catch fish. Some will work better than others depending on conditions. I was once told that Hutch’s Ring Worms did not work on the Illinois River. I got that guy in my boat and after 6 nice sauger in less than ½ an hour my buddy stopped putting his hand in the minnow bucket and started catching them on a ring worm.
The most common methods are jigging, hand-lining, pole-lining, 3-way rigs, lead core and in some cases pitching jigs. In most cases all of those methods will catch fish although a particular method might catch more and or bigger fish. For example, if the fish are spread out on a long expansive flat one of the trolling methods will probably catch more fish than jigging. On the other hand there may be fish relating to a small current break jigging or a 3-way presentation will be more effective than using lead core.
If you are fishing for fun, use the technique you prefer. If I am fishing for fun I will be jigging! If I am fishing a tournament and I am not jigging, you can bet that I wasn’t able to find the “right” fish jigging and went to a technique that I feel I have the best chance winning with.
There is plenty of lodging in Spring Valley. The local economy gets a big boost from fishermen and tournaments. This does not go unnoticed by the community as the locals roll out the red carpet for those who are visiting.
Mississippi River Pool 4 – Red Wing, MN
This section of the Mississippi River is probably the best combination walleye and sauger fishery in the country. Not only are there large numbers of fish but there is also a chance at a trophy. Numerous walleyes over 10 pounds are caught each year. The Wisconsin state record sauger, that was big enough for the record in Minnesota, was caught in 2008 on pool 4 weighing a whopping 6 pounds 3 ounces!
Pre-Spawn
If you are looking for a trophy, plan your trip sometime between Mid-March and Mid-April. Female walleye and sauger will be at their peak weight prior to spawning. The area immediately below the dam is a good place to start but be ready for company. I have seen over 100 boats fishing the first quarter mile below the dam. Even with this extreme fishing pressure there are plenty of fish to go around.
If you don’t mind bumper boats try pitching blade baits or spoons like Hutch’s One Eye to the shoreline from the refuge sign to the first wing dam. You can also anchor on the Wisconsin side and pitch the same baits or a jig and plastic. Cast out into the current and jig back along the steep break. If anchoring isn’t your game vertical jig the sand flat on the Wisconsin side which will be downstream of all of the anchored boats. I use a 3/8 to ½ ounce jig tipped with a plastic (ringworm, gulp etc.) in 8 to 12 feet of water. I have not used minnows for pre-spawn walleyes for years. Minnows will work and I am sure there are times when they will work better than plastics but I am convinced, on average, that I will catch more fish on plastics. Besides, who wants to stick their hand in a minnow bucket all day!
If you are like me and prefer to stay away from the crowds, concentrate around areas from the Vermillion River down to the head of Lake Pepin. For walleyes pitch 1/8-1/4 oz. jigs tipped with a ring worm or 4 to 5 inch twister tail. This is especially true the first couple of hours after sunrise and the last hour before sunset. The main focus here are points, river/bay mouths and sand bars areas that create a current break and have a feeding shelf of 4 to 8 feet. As the sun rises move out into the 8-12’ range and vertical jig or pull three way rigs with a stick bait.
If I am looking for big sauger, when the water is high, I will target inside turns in the river. These flats will have less current and sauger will use these areas to rest on their way up river to spawn. The best depth will be determined by the water level but a good place to start is just inside the buoy line. If the water is “normal” for spring I like to concentrate on long straight stretches of the river. Early in the spring the “Cans”, the buoy line at the head of Lake Pepin, is a great spot as all of the fish coming up from Lake Pepin funnel through this area. Another area that can be great is just below the bridge from the first pillar all the way down to the first red buoy. This area can be hit or miss but when they are in there you will catch quality sauger along with an occasional walleye.
Post-Spawn
If you don’t want to fight the huge crowds there is plenty of good fishing after the spawn. This bite can be inconsistent but it can also be very rewarding. In the 2009 FLW, Rick Zackowski weighed five post spawn walleyes that weighed 40 pounds!
Menominee River – Marinette WI
The Menominee River forms about one-third of the boundary between Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan before it empties into Lake Michigan. If you want to canoe beautiful scenery and catch smallmouth bass, come back in the summer and fish upriver. If you want to catch big walleyes with a chance of a trophy, fish the industrialized part of the river from the dam to the mouth of Lake Michigan.
Although it doesn’t have the beauty of the upper river, it has its own charm. It is kind of fun to catch a 7 pound walleye right next to a huge combat ship being built for the Navy or an ice breaker being made for Coast Guard.
Timing for this trip can be tricky. The long northern winters will often keep the river iced up until mid April so call ahead and watch the weather. If it is a late winter the walleyes will spawn as soon as the river opens up, some even before. If that happens don’t worry as the post spawn bite is awesome!
Shore fishing opportunities exist from the dam down to the second bridge. Throw 1/8 to ¼ ounce jigs with a 4”-5” twister tail along current seams in the day time. At night cast large minnow imitators like the Rapala #13 floater.
If you are fishing from a boat I don’t recommend going further upstream than Nest Egg Marine unless you know the river well or if you are fishing from a small flat bottom boat. I like to concentrate on the edges of the channel that is dredged for ship navigation. Every river technique in the book will work but I prefer pitching jigs and vertical jigging plastics.
As they come in for the spawn, the mouth of the river is a great spot to intercept walleyes that have spent most of their time in Lake Michigan. The mouth, out into the lake, is also a great place for post-spawn walleyes as these fish will stick around to rest and feed before heading back out to the lake. In the mouth, vertical jig 3/8-1/2 ounce jigs and plastics. Look for small humps in hard bottom areas that make for great areas for big walleyes to get out of the current. Fish a 3-way, with a 2 to 3 ounce sinker on the dropper and a number 9 floating Rapala on a 5 foot lead, from the mouth out into the bay. Pounding your baits into the side of the dredged channel can be a great way to trigger big walleyes. If you are going to fish the bay make sure you have the proper Wisconsin or Michigan license.
Detroit River – Wyandotte, MI
I had heard of the big walleyes caught on the Detroit River for years but I didn’t get a chance to fish it until I pre-fished for the FLW event in April of 2010. The fishing was everything and more, in fact it was the best fishing I have ever had. The kicker is a small fish was 3 pounds with most fish, and a lot of them, being 4 to 5 pounds. Throw in large numbers of walleyes up to 10 pounds in my boat (bigger were caught when I was there) and you have a trip of a lifetime! I guess it shouldn’t have been too much of a surprise as these fish come in from the walleye factory that is Lake Erie but if you haven’t tried it in April, you should!
Like my three other destinations this is no secret. However, there are plenty of places to get away from the crowds including Lake Erie. If you want fish to eat (yes people do eat the walleyes) target the smaller males in the middle of the shipping channel. The main channel in 25’ to 30’ of water around Wyandotte is a good area. If you are looking for bigger fish, target spawning areas. One of the most popular spots is the rip rap shoreline below US Steel. Be ready for company. If the bite is “on” there could be hundreds of boats if you are fishing a weekend.
If you want to get away from the crowds target current breaks along the steep channel. I found several areas like this and basically had them to myself. I had no problem catching twenty to thirty 3-7 pound walleyes in a day. That did not include what others in my boat caught! If you like to jig it does not get much better as walleyes will absolutely inhale a jig and just about any plastic you use. I had my best luck with Hutch’s Ring Worms and Trigger X but just about anything will work. The locals use the Wyandotte Wiggler, I am not sure why they would hit that thing but they do. I caught a few on it myself!
If the water clarity is good, jigging is the preferred method. However, if water clarity is poor hand-lining is very popular. In fact, hand-lining, as we know it, was invented on the Detroit River.
Rather fish the lake? No problem, get out the planer boards and head downstream into the lake. Walleyes do not all spawn at once and the post-spawn fish will head out into the bay. Try spinners and crankbaits to find out which works best. It might take a while to find a pod of fish but get ready when you do. Trolling the great lakes has not been one of my strengths. However, the day in a half I spent pre-fishing was not stop action with doubles and triples being common. I took my college roommate, Brian Moeglin, out for a half a day. He had never caught a walleye in his life. The first fish he reeled in was 29-1/2”. He asked “is that a good one?” I had to laugh but the reality is a fish like that is not uncommon!
If you get the chance I highly recommend a trip to one of the four destinations. Each one has its own charm. I wish I could fish all four locations this spring but I will only have time for two, the Illinois River and Pool 4 on the Mississippi. Hopefully I will see some of you on the water.
Editor’s Note – Other flowing waters worth a springtime trip, recommended by our contributors and readers:
- Wisconsin River – Stevens Point & Wausau, WI
- Maumee River – Perrysburg & Maumee, OH
- Fox River – DePere, WI
- Wolf River – Fremont, WI
- St. Joseph River – Benton Harbor & Berrien Springs, MI
- Saginaw River – Saginaw, MI
- Rock River – Oregon & Sterling IL
Roy Vivian is a tournament walleye angler from Madison, Wisconsin who fishes the MWC, FLW, and AIM Walleye Circuits. In 2008, he finished in 11th place at the Illinois River MWC event, and took third place in 2009. He is presently on the pro-staff of Lund Boats, Mercury Motors, EZEE Steps, Do-It Molds and Shimano rods and reels.
