Page 7 - ODUMar-Apr2019

Lake Erie: A Popular Destination

For Spring Walleye Fishing

By Captain Julia "Juls" Davis

For decades now, Lake
Erie’s Western Basin has
been a hot-spot
destination for anyone

who has ever wanted to
catch big walleye in the
springtime. After a long
winter, everyone is
charged up with
excitement to get out on
some open water and

chase the golden prize.

Trophy Walleye, that’s
why they come here for
year after year. The
chance to catch monster
walleye from an earlier
year class that can easily

measure 32 inches or
better and gets the heart
racing, even from the
most seasoned of anglers.

The forecast is often unpredictable during the early spring bite, and can often keep anglers off the
water, due to big winds, but when the conditions are right, it’s the most spectacular and fun fishing a

person could ask for.

What makes Lake Erie’s Western Basin so attractive for spawning walleye is in its natural design. The
west end is shallow and tapers deeper the further east it goes. The average depth on the west end is 25-
30 feet, and the deepest point on the east end is 210 feet. The west end also has several reef complexes

and rivers flowing into it, giving the walleye the perfect structure and setting needed for a successful
spawn.

Walleye migrate from all over to get to this preferred spawning ground and offer anglers all