Move Farther From the Shoreline
When the temperature heats up, walleye move into cooler, deeper water. You may have a tough time finding them near shore, as they prefer deeper areas with heavy vegetation.
Use Easy Bait
Walleye get sluggish and lazy in the summer, so it is best to use bait that they don't have to work too hard to find. Discover the natural prey for the water your are fishing and use that bait. Worms, minnows and leaches all work well, no matter how deep the water.
Find Underwater Structures
Walleye go where the bait fish are, and those little fish like places where they can hide from the bigger guys. Search out underwater islands or ledges and drop your line there. A grouping of rocks on the lake bed is another good spot for little fish to hide and walleye to hang out.
Search for Vegetation
The other popular spot for bait fish is heavy vegetation. Find spots where underwater weeds are growing and drop in a leadhead that is dressed as minnow or other local forage fish. You can also use nightcrawlers or leaches in this manner. Drop the bait right into the midst of the vegetation for best results.
Add Color and Sparkle
Especially in deep, dark vegetative areas, you will do well to add a few colored beads or a spinner blade in fluorescent colors to attract the fish. A jig head tipped at a 45 degree angle with a minnow on the tip will attract deep water fish, too.
Speed Trolling
Speed trolling often works well when fishing large lakes or reservoirs. Use deep diving crank baits with a depth of eight to twelve feet. Drive at a constant speed of about five mph. When trolling, loosen the reel drag so that when the fish hits the line will not break.
Discard Traditional Advice
Sometimes the methods that typically work during the summer just won't work for your particular location and day. If fishing deep water is not producing many walleye, try more shallow water. Certain conditions may have caused bait fish to move to shallower water, or to an area with less vegetation and the walleye will have followed. Though these tips are generally sound advice, always be willing to change up your methods if you are not getting results.
