Does anybody here have success catching walleyes in the middle of the day?

I have a problem on trips that I really enjoy sleeping in. I have two young kids so I haven’t slept past 7 at home in nearly a decade. Also I go on trips with really good friends that I only see a couple times a year so we really enjoy the late night campfire activities. So the dawn fishing just isn’t going to happen.

We have great success from 7:00-dark pretty much every night but the days are painfully slow. We just can’t find them or get them to bite. The fact that we usually go mid July probably compounds this issue.

I am pretty good at cleaning fish with my headlamp while getting hounded by mosquitoes but avoiding this experience would be a positive addition to the trip.

Any helpful hints would be greatly appreciated. For what it’s worth we usually fish shallower tannin stained lakes.

My wife and I get up fairly early but make coffee and breakfast, then do camp cleanup and put the food pack up before getting the canoe ready for fishing. That puts on the water about 8-8:30. We usually quit fishing by 10 or 10:30 because we are tired of sitting in the canoe and have normally caught a bunch of walleyes. We'll probably go back out around 3 and back to clean fish by 5. It isn't always the case but often enough we will have caught between 10 and 20 walleyes in that amount of time, trolling shad raps, rapalas, or rattling raps. We'll usually be trolling in 5 to 15 feet, usually on the shallow end of that range.

I recall one mid-day Walleye that I caught. A nice 22 incher. Very near shore. Was actually a mistake cast and I was not targeting Walleye. It struck as soon as my lure hit the water. One of the oddest, most memorable catches of my lifetime.

I don't think there is a specific technique to catch mid-day walleyes. But yes, you can catch them. One of our best outings was 2pm, bright sunshine, and dead calm. We got tired of catching fish and left at 4pm. I swear you coulda caught 'em on a cigarette butt that day!

ps... I'd get up early and later enjoy a hammock nap if needed. Don't lose out on early morning outings.

You must be tripping with a bunch of buddies that more or less all like to get going about the same time. I probably wouldn’t be able to comfortably relax if I were in your shoes… I honestly think anyone holding up my group would get their hammock ropes cut if it was much past first light. ;)

Our guys are up before first light. . .probably more to do with early morning trips to the privy and needing caffeine.

RMinMN: "We'll probably go back out around 3 and back to clean fish by 5. It isn't always the case but often enough we will have caught between 10 and 20 walleyes in that amount of time, trolling shad raps, rapalas, or rattling raps. We'll usually be trolling in 5 to 15 feet, usually on the shallow end of that range."

Thanks for that. Covering water to get the active ones seems like a great idea. I have a depth finder and plenty of rapalas so it’s time to get to work.

bobbernumber3: "I don't think there is a specific technique to catch mid-day walleyes. But yes, you can catch them. One of our best outings was 2pm, bright sunshine, and dead calm. We got tired of catching fish and left at 4pm. I swear you coulda caught 'em on a cigarette butt that day!"

That’s what I’m talking about!

Hammertime: "

bobbernumber3: "I don't think there is a specific technique to catch mid-day walleyes. But yes, you can catch them. One of our best outings was 2pm, bright sunshine, and dead calm. We got tired of catching fish and left at 4pm. I swear you coulda caught 'em on a cigarette butt that day!"

That’s what I’m talking about!"

One time, out of 40 trips, hundreds of outings... so there is a chance!

The biggest walleye I ever caught was a 30 incher on Brent mid day August, 75 degrees, sunny, no wind…we were traveling and I just trolled a silver/black 9 taildancer. I haven’t replicated this as far as size, but numbers I have. Trolling cranks gets the active fish. I like tail dancers, minnow raps, Berkly Frenzy. Silver black or fire tiger.

T

I would target “darker stained coloured” lakes to catch mid day walleyes. I feel that when fishing Clear lakes ,,, you need to be on the water in early morning and evening for the best walleye bite times. I find mid day on clear lakes to be a tough time period for walleyes.

In fact, on clear lakes I usually go lake Trout fishing during the mid day.

On stained lakes I catch walleyes all day. Light does not penetrate stained colored water as much as clear lakes. I usually troll worm harnesses using bottom bouncers or Rapala Shad Raps and other trolling lures to cover water and then switch to jigging when I locate them. Walleye are not normally solitary, but are usually found in groups.

I like weed edges, narrows, and wind swept points and ledges. Any of the aforementioned areas near deep water if you want big walleyes.

Hammertime: "

RMinMN: "We'll probably go back out around 3 and back to clean fish by 5. It isn't always the case but often enough we will have caught between 10 and 20 walleyes in that amount of time, trolling shad raps, rapalas, or rattling raps. We'll usually be trolling in 5 to 15 feet, usually on the shallow end of that range."

Thanks for that. Covering water to get the active ones seems like a great idea. I have a depth finder and plenty of rapalas so it’s time to get to work."

I have never caught walleyes on any straight Rapala that was over 7". That may be because I don't have any Rapala's over 7". I have caught several with an orange 7" or a black and silver 7".

timatkn: "... Trolling cranks gets the active fish....T"

I've always thought that trolling for walleyes often caught fish that instinctively reacted to a bait swimming by, high and away.

Active fish to me are on a windy shoreline feeding on bait and being caught with a slip bobber rig or casting a jig.

Either way, they are fun to catch!!

bobbernumber3: "

timatkn: "... Trolling cranks gets the active fish....T"

I've always thought that trolling for walleyes often caught fish that instinctively reacted to a bait swimming by, high and away.


Active fish to me are on a windy shoreline feeding on bait and being caught with a slip bobber rig or casting a jig.


Either way, they are fun to catch!!"

I am not a fishing expert, I just play one on this website…and I slept at a Holiday Inn last night :)

Mid day Walleyes can be really hit or miss I think. We have never done super well in the middle of the day for Walleye. However, we have had a few instances of doing fairly well. The methods it took to catch them were more "slow/ finesse style" though. We have done best trolling lindy rigs, leech/ crawler harnesses along deep structure. 25-30 fow with a reef coming up to 15 or 20 feet or something like that has produced the best. Cloudy and or wind and rain improves your chances to catch walleye in my experiences. Wind swept shorelines are always good or pinch points or saddles around islands or points can probably improve your chances. Or if you can find moving water anywhere as well.

I really need to try trolling crankbaits more. Just have never really done it but so many people on this forum do it with success.

My absolute best day walleye fishing in the BWCA was on Disappointment Lake. We were planning on moving to Ensign but were waiting on a few members of our group to get back so we decided to sneak out for another hour of fishing before moving on. We trolled rapalas thru a channel between two islands and caught 3 walleyes back to back to back. We turned around, anchored up, broke out the slip bobbers and leeches then proceeded to pound the walleyes for the next 3 hours. All this took place between 11 and 3pm in about 6 feet of water. Long story short we ended up staying two more days and had similar results in the same excact spot the rest of the week. Sometimes you don't know when or where you will bump into them.

walleyejunky: "My absolute best day walleye fishing in the BWCA was on Disappointment Lake. We were planning on moving to Ensign but were waiting on a few members of our group to get back so we decided to sneak out for another hour of fishing before moving on. We trolled rapalas thru a channel between two islands and caught 3 walleyes back to back to back. We turned around, anchored up, broke out the slip bobbers and leeches then proceeded to pound the walleyes for the next 3 hours. All this took place between 11 and 3pm in about 6 feet of water. Long story short we ended up staying two more days and had similar results in the same excact spot the rest of the week. Sometimes you don't know when or where you will bump into them."

Hammertime... That’s what I’m talking about!

Similar to a couple stories above, my best ever walleye fishing was midday, dead calm, 90 degrees first week of June. It was an outlier in all respects.

I've had more modest success other times midday, but usually days with a bit of chop on the water or cloudy with off and on rain. Trolling shad raps is usually how I try to find them.

No doubt though, I have more consistent luck in lower light hours. But I'm also a pretty mediocre walleye fisherman.

From my experience the best consistent midday walleye action is when they are reefed up in late July early august. slip bobber and a leech.

Similar experience, mid day walleye….location location location. Between two Islands, wind blowing directly through the channel, walleye stacked. Slip bobber leach, if you didn’t have a bobber strike within a minute, reel back in because your leech was stolen.
Mid day is always going to be about location.

The saddle looks like this on the map, if the wind is coming from the west like ours was, we drifted through, caught a bunch of walleye. Paddled back and anchored at X facing the saddle. Cast, let the leech drift in, walleye watching for a free meal. This particular saddle also works well with an east wind but fishing the other side ;)

While there aren't many perks to fishing walleyes in mid july, there is one. They're in pretty predictable locations no matter the conditions. Stained water is a good start, but how shallow are you talking?

By mid summer the majority of walleyes transition from near shore, shallow water to off-shore deep structure. Not always easy in BWCA lakes, as majority dont have much for contour maps, but there are ways around this. The best recommendation from me, and something I've done with success in the past on trips over July 4th weekend, is hopping onto google maps. Go to the lake you'll be fishing and zoom most, if not all the way in. Scroll around the middle of the lake, looking for areas that you can see the bottom. I can about guarantee you walleyes are relating to that structure. Long points that reach out near the basin can be good. As well as any areas with current. You can find walleye on weed edges but without electronics that'd be a tough feat in a canoe. I use a downloadable map, like Onx, to mark locations so I can easily find them when I'm there.

Other obvious areas are fishing the edges of islands, if there are any. Start at a point. Drift by it a few times. Or anchor up near the break on the windblown side and fan cast.

A depth finder would certainly help but its not at all required. With a little wind just paddle aways over the structure so you can drift up the break, float over the top, and drift off the back side. Bouy marker could help if you find them schooled up. Jig and a leech is all you'll need! Plastics did quite well last july trip too.

I'm pretty confident I can find walleyes in any new lake. If you told me the lake I'd be glad to DM you back my suggested locations.

While not my favorite time of day for fishing, I've had some outstanding mid day walleye fishing even during mid and late summer. We can usually find and catch walleye all day, but you need wind or to fish deep and slow. Stained water helps.

Been fishing the same BW lake for 50 years. There is a weedy flat, in 12 fow, that seems most productive from 9-11 am. But if it's raining, any time is good. The biggest walleye we've ever caught 31.5" was at 1 pm in the afternoon, over cast, light rain, and a little bit of a chop. We got a 26.5 the same afternoon. It tends to be more productive when it's windy. But if the rain starts, we head out to that flat, as it's almost always game on. The lake doesn't produce many big fish, but it seems it's best when it's windy, overcast and drizzling.

analyzer: ",,,The biggest walleye we've ever caught 31.5" was at 1 pm in the afternoon...,We got a 26.5 the same afternoon.,,,"

A Quetico Warden once told me "If you don't see a picture, it didn't happen".

gsfisher13: "Similar experience, mid day walleye….location location location. Between two Islands, wind blowing directly through the channel, walleye stacked. Slip bobber leach, if you didn’t have a bobber strike within a minute, reel back in because your leech was stolen.
Mid day is always going to be about location.

The saddle looks like this on the map, if the wind is coming from the west like ours was, we drifted through, caught a bunch of walleye. Paddled back and anchored at X facing the saddle. Cast, let the leech drift in, walleye watching for a free meal. This particular saddle also works well with an east wind but fishing the other side ;)"

gsfisher13 - I think you zoomed in a little too close on your lake map - all I can see is the word "lake". :-)

Our group catches walleye all day long. Get up early. Catch fish. Go back to camp eat breakfast, nap, go out and catch more walleye. Go back to camp and fillet fish and eat dinner. Go back out at about 8pm to 11pm for the night bite, then hit the hammock. For mid day walleye success you need to fish for them in the shade. Thats why I always fish for walleye by following the sun. Fish the east sides of lakes in the morning and west sides at night. Another thing if it’s a big lake is to find humps or ledges because they will hold fish.