Night Walleye

Did you know that there are over 30,000 species of fish? And if I had to choose, the walleye

fish would be in my top 5! That’s why we are here yet again to discuss the walleye. Except this week I am here to talk more specifically about night walleye fishing! Walleye fishing at night is a great overall experience! There are multiple differences between walleye day and night fishing, including the techniques used, the type of walleye and the social experience. 

The aggressive or competitive fishers at my Lake Erie Fishing Charter prefer walleye fishing at night. Walleye fish are known to have nocturnal feeding habits, and thus it is very common to fish for these guys at night. One of the great advantages of the Lake Erie Fishing Charter is that you can walleye night fish on a boat and they are easy catches. The nocturnal feeding habits lead the fish to shallow waters in the nighttime and thus make them a reachable target for fishers in boats.

Essentially, at night the best strategy for walleyes is to stay near shallow waters, whereas during the day, the best strategy is to fish deeper in the water. Also during the day, people at the fishing charter on Lake Erie will use downriggers and planer boards. These, on the other hand, are not used at night. A good tip to keep in mind: when you go walleye night fishing, it is important to scope out little holes during the day where larvae and schools of fish habituate. These are guaranteed spots where the walleye fish will flounder to at night. At least, I’ve never seen this trick disappoint at the Lake Erie Walleye Fishing Charter!

Second, the types of walleye you find during day fishing and night fishing are different. In my experience, I have seen hundreds of walleye catches during the day and night. At night, however, I have seen much larger walleye catches. Generally the large female walleyes come up in the shallow water to sit in their spawning beds or eat the minnows. This is a generally larger walleye catch than those during the day. I would say night walleye fishing brings in on average 10-14 lb. walleye!

Finally, the experience of night walleye fishing is much different than that of day walleye fishing. Especially at the Fishing Charter at Lake Erie! During the day we have ourselves a grand ol’ time. However, at night is such a beautiful experience because when you sit on the beautiful waters of Lake Erie and watch the sunset, or even the stars, it’s an experience that one will never forget. You can have a romantic fishing date with your significant other, a night to yourself, or have a nice cold beer with your buddy while you are fishing for walleye.

Remember, the key to night walleye fishing is to stay in the shallow waters and look for schools of minnows and small fish that the walleye eats. If you ever have any questions about Lake Erie or Lake Erie fishing charters, please visit the ErieDrifter website.