There are some great walleye fishing spots in Missouri. Lake of the Ozarks, Stockton Lake, Thomas Hill Reservoir, Table Rock Lake, Bull Shoals Lake and Mark Twain Lake are the top spots. These areas also have bass and panfish besides the walleye. The one thing that is a very well kept secret in Missouri is the ice fishing for walleye. Lake of the Ozarks is the best walleye fishing during the winter. Some anglers get out there and catch some prize trophies. The best thing to use during the winter months is heavier crankbaits while trolling. You might even try the grub on a jig, the weight should be about one eighth.
In October, Bull Shoals Lake is a great place to catch walleye. Many people do not even consider this lake for catching walleye and this is a shame because the action is hot in October. The lake has a great shad population that helps to feed the walleye and make them a good healthy weight. Here you would want to use crankbaits or some shad colored grubs. If you are fishing the rocky areas, a night crawler on a leadhead is great. In most cases, the planer boards work well with spinner rigs. During the spawning season in spring, you want to fish by the rocky areas from Barker Hole to Beaver Creek.
If you want to catch the walleye from shore during the spring spawning months, the Stockton Dam is a great area. However, the best time of day is a few hours before and after sunset. The popular area is by the Rip Rap by the dam. When you are fishing from shore near the riprap, you can use a shallow or floating running bait. Anglers recommend keeping the smaller males and leaving the larger females to spawn for future generations of walleye. On Stockton Lake, you can keep any fish that is fifteen inches or longer and they have a daily catch limit of four.
If you are using a fish locator on Stockton Lake, you will want to find the areas where the shad are in schools. Walleye will follow the shad and you can see the shad while the walleye are like black dots among the schools. The best time for walleye depends on the time of day and year, wind and water temperature. Fishing on Stockton Lake is better at dawn and dusk as well as overcast days. During the winter months, walleye hang out by the springs where the shad prefer to be. The water temperature is warmer than the forty-degree water temperatures away from the springs.
Table Rock Lake has many underwater habitats for walleye. When the lake was built, they never cleared the trees and other deadfall under the water, which has made a nice home for walleye. The shad in the lake allows the walleye to feed and grow to good-sized fish. Many anglers use the drop and sink method in this lake. They sit right above the deadfall and drop right into the middle of the school of shad coming up with a fish. This is a nice resort area and does not have a lot of boat activity, which makes it a nice fishing spot.
Mark Twain Lake is noted as a good place to fish for walleye, but keep in mind that you have to go at the right time and the right season. The best time to fish this lake is during spawning season. The shad population is what keeps the walleye in the lake, but you do need to fish for walleye during the particular time of year. The tributary streams in the spring are the best place to fish the walleye.
Walleye fishing season is the best in spring during and after the spawning season. However, summer nights and fall months are just as good for fishing for walleyes. Just like the weatherman predicting weather that never seems to be correct, the right fishing time cannot be predicted as well. The right season is when the walleye seem to be the hungriest. This would be right after the spawn in spring. After spawning, the walleye rest for a few days before venturing out for food and the beginning journey to the open waters. Now is the best time to fish for walleye.
Even though the weather is a bit chilly, you will find that you have more strikes after spawning then you do all year long. The fish have had a slow feeding winter and the spawn takes everything they have left. They do not feed much during the spawn, so they are going to be hungry. At this time, it best to use small baits. The fish are hungry and ready to feed, but they are eating in small amounts right now in order to build up an almost dormant appetite. By watching weather reports, water condition and temperature reports, you can almost pinpoint the right time to look for walleye in rivers and by the lakeshores.
By tracking the water temperatures, you will have a better understanding of when to get out and start some fishing. Late April into early May will be a good time in some of the northern states such as Wisconsin. The temperatures of the water are just getting right for spawning and there are many areas to fish where the walleye are present. Rivers, small lakes, larger lakes with plenty of underwater rock formations and weeds and along the shorelines in shallow waters are going to be god places to start. The mouth of rivers is a good place to sit and fish for walleye as they start their venture back to the lake waters.
Later in May by the weed beds is a great place to find walleye lurking. You can use a slip bobber and a minnow to drop in right above the tops of the weeds. This a good time to stay in the shallower waters because the water temperature is warmer and the weeds are growing good. The walleye will stay here until the time is right to head to the deeper waters. The best time of day is at dawn and dusk in shallow waters.
Other months of the year are going to be good for catching walleye as well, but you do need to contact some local bait shops for some local reports on how the walleye are biting. Some areas are better at different times. It still stands true that the best time to catch your limit is during and after spawning season in late April to the Middle of May. You want to catch them before they head to the deeper waters where they can hide and not be detected in some cases.
The one thing that all anglers do need to keep in mind when fishing for walleye during the spawning season is to never keep the females before they spawn. This is only going to hurt the walleye population in the future. Most anglers will fish the walleye at post spawning when everything is over and done. During the spawn, the females do not feed anyway, but the males do a little. By waiting until after the spawn, you will have more fish to choose from verses when the fish that are spawning.