New York’s walleye season kicks off the first Saturday in May, and runs until March 15 of the following year. It’s only closed from mid-March to early May to protect the fish while they spawn. Walleye anglers in New York usually spend April getting their gear ready, stocking up on lures and tying worm harness rigs.
Can you fish for walleye in the winter?
The truth is walleye are a cold water fish and remain active through the winter. By late February they are heading to the spawning grounds, and the warmer water temps put them on the feed. This often produces some of the best walleye fishing and some of the biggest marbleyes of the year.
Where is the best walleye fishing in New York State?
While New York boasts many highly productive walleye waters throughout the State, Lake Erie and Oneida Lake have long been recognized as the premier walleye fisheries. Lake Erie is considered the top walleye destination in western New York.
What season can you catch walleye?
Fall. As with most fish species, fall is a season of change and transition for walleye. These fish become more active during this season, almost as if they sense the coming winter and are desperate to stock up on food.
What fish are in season right now in New York?
January-April: sea bass, striper, mackerel. May-September: albacore, sockeye, chinook, coho and pink salmon, pollock, haddock, sole, whiting. October-December: pollock, sole, mackerel. Year Round: lingcod, flounder, halibut.
Do walleye bite when it’s cold?
When water temperatures are cold in the early spring or late fall, a warm front can help improve the bite. Walleye may still feed during the same peak fishing times, but the bite will usually last longer and the fish may feed more aggressively. You should be able to catch more walleye on crankbaits during this time.
Can you catch walleye in January?
By January, walleye on popular hotspots have been stung hard by anglers, and remaining fish are likely not biting. Look for active fish at the base of dropoffs or cruising along subtle breaks on basin bottoms. They’ll often be at precise depths, in transition areas from sand to mud, or gravel to sand.
What is the best bait for walleye?
Minnows
Minnows. Minnows are the most popular bait option for walleye anglers, I have found consistent success with shiner and flathead minnows. When targeting bigger fish, shiners in the 4-6″ range are the mainstay, these will weed through some of the smaller fish and get you on 25″+ Walleye.
What is the best lure for catching walleye?
The 7 Best Walleye Lures of 2022
- Best Overall: Cotton Cordell Wally Diver Lure at Amazon.
- Best Crankbait: Rapala Shad Rap at Amazon.
- Best Suspending Jerkbait: Rapala Husky Jerk at Amazon.
- Best for Ice Fishing: Clam Drop Tg Jig at cabelas.com.
- Best Blade Bait: Johnson ThinFisher at Amazon.
What time of year are walleye most active?
Sunset until sunrise is prime walleye time. That said, if I had to tell which season walleye are most active at night, I would say late summer into early fall. The warmer temperatures mean an abundance of prey and many prey items will remain active into the night.
How do you catch walleye in March?
Toward the end of the ice-fishing season, into March in many areas, walleyes may begin gravitating toward their spawning areas. They will move more and be more aggressive. Tip-ups will still work, but many expert walleye anglers prefer jigs tipped with minnows. This allows them to be more mobile.
Why can’t I catch walleye?
The main thing to catching walleyes is SLOW down. You cannot fish jigs too slowly. If you are fishing very slow then slow down some more. The thing that is overlooked a lot about fishing slow is you have to be fishing light enough for the jig to fall slowly.
Are walleye good eating?
Walleye offers a fine-flaked fillet with a subtle, sweet flavor and low levels of fishiness. A good fish if you enjoy eating a meal consisting of mild flavors. Its texture is firm yet delicate with a buttery mouthfeel. If you prefer less fishy, blander tasting fish then you’ll probably enjoy it.
What fish are in season in upstate NY?
Statewide Freshwater Fishing Seasons, Sizes, and Catch Limits
| Species | Open Season | Minimum Length |
|---|---|---|
| Black Bass (Largemouth and Smallmouth) | Dec 1 – June 14 | Catch and Release only |
| Muskellunge | June 1 – Nov 30 | 40″ |
| Northern Pike | May 1 – Mar 15 | 18″ |
| Pickerel | May 1 – Mar 15 | 15″ |
Can you fish in March in NY?
There are dozens of excellent winter fishing destinations in the county where a wide variety of warmwater species await anglers in March. In Franklin County, northern pike are the dominant species in most of the public-access lakes and ponds listed on the DEC’s Web site.
Can you fish year round in New York State?
Previously, the state’s regular statewide trout fishing season extended from April 1 to Oct. 15. The state’s new year-round catch-and-release season, which takes effect at the end of this year’s regular season, will allow anglers to fish with artificial lures only from Oct. 16 to March 31.
What color walleye sees best?
Walleyes do have color vision that peaks in the orange-red-green portions of the spectrum. They see colors on both sides of each peak, but sensitivity declines. So they see wavelengths shorter than green and longer than orange-red, but not well. Overall, they see orange and red well, followed green and yellow.
What colors are walleye attracted to?
The most basic and most productive colors for targeting walleye are purple and green. These colors come in a variety of shades and can be used in a large range of depths. For sunny days, select bright or flashy purple or green, and for cloudy days try a solid, darker green or purple.
How deep do walleye hang out?
Walleye are generally caught between 10-40 Ft. A typical mid-sized lake in the Midwest would likely hold Walleye between the depths of 10-15 Ft. during the Spring, 15-25 Ft. transitioning to Summer, 25-40 Ft.
Do walleye like drop offs?
Fall walleyes follow another instinctual calling, and often are drawn to areas of a lake or reservoir where feeding structures plummet chasmlike into the main basin. Contrast this with summer, where walleyes hunt along the drop-offs bordering extensive flats of relatively shallow and consistent depth.
Where do walleye go when its cold?
Forget the old myths – walleye don’t stop feeding just because a cold front has arrived. But they do change locations with the falling barometer, usually by moving into deeper water or burrowing into heavy cover.