Running and Gunning for Shallow Water ‘Eyes
 By Ross Grothe

Shallow water is usually defined as any water that you can’t sit on top of with a boat, walleyes can and do inhabit this type of water.Tradition would say that this is the area that you will find fish in
early spring summer or fall.  But, actually it is where you will find fish all year round.  Some fish could be in 2 feet of water and others in 20 feet of water on the same body of water at the same time of year.  All in all I have found many walleyes that are aggressive in shallow
water and I’ll fish it more times than deep water. In Minnesota, my home state, the movement of walleyes toward shallower water is always constant.  In early spring the walleyes are attracted to
the aquatic life that is starting in the warm shallows.  As zoo plankton attracts small fish and minnows the walleye is attracted to these areas to feed.  In summer or early fall, during the period when days are warm but nights are cool, bait fish begin breaking the surface in schools
just offshore, particularly during calm periods.  These subtle clue means walleyes are biting like crazy. 

By the time late summer turns into fall and the water temperature starts to drop off; the fish start to migrate to shore.  In big shallow lakes like Mille Lacs; for example, walleyes traditionally begin leaving the flats and their deeper environs by this time.  By mid-September they’re prowling in less than 10 feet of water much of the time. Most fishermen would fish the obvious structural elements.  The key to catching fish here consistently, however, is effectively identifying spots that gather and hold most fish.

When I am running and gunning for those active walleyes I will look at three types of structure to help me locate fish.  First of all I look for the "typical walleye structure", this is comprised of drop-offs, rock formations, points, or inside turns that could hold walleyes.  The second type of structure is the shallow structure that is usually found out in the middle of the lake.  These types of structures might be classified as mid-lake humps, rock piles, reefs, sunken islands, etc. 

These areas are dynamite during the mid summer months and often times over looked by most weekend anglers.  The third type of structure that I love to fish is weeds and wood.  Again this type of structure might be classified as more bass or northern pike structure, but a lot of walleyes hang out in heavy weeds and wood throughout the year.    If you understand the "predator prey relationship" weeds become an automatic structure that I key in on.  Simply put if the walleye is put in the lake as a fry it becomes a prey and naturally will find a place to hide.  When the walleye grows up it becomes a predator and instinctively knows that the weeds are a place to look for prey.  I try weeds in the summer time, because I am almost assured of catching some really active
fish.