Most Anglers Quit Too Soon! It’s Not Too Late to Catch Giant Open-Water Walleyes

When the days get shorter, the temps start to drop, and ice forming in your rod guides becomes a real possibility, most anglers have packed away their open-water gear. But for those willing to brave the cold, late-season, cold-water trolling can produce some of the biggest walleye of the year, with some days even producing numbers of trophy-sized fish. As water temperatures dip into the 40s, and even 30s, baitfish move shallow, the big fish follow them and eat like there’s no tomorrow. The bite can become very predictable, if you know what to look for.

To dig into this very late season, cold-water pattern, I spent some time on and off the water with Jason Julien, owner of Church Tackle planer boards and a Lake Erie walleye trolling expert. He walked me through the exact system he uses to put big late-season walleyes (and lots of them) in the net long after most anglers have winterized their boats. His approach is surprisingly simple—slow down, size up, and follow the food.

Here’s a video of conversation that inspired this article:

When the Late Season Truly Begins

A walleye angler on a boat in the dark of night holding a big Lake Erie walleye caught trolling. — Yes, the weather can compromise your personal comfort, but holding a big walleye like this can be very comforting. | Photo by Kurt Mazurek

The late-season window opens when water temps dip below 50-degrees. Every fall and every specific location are a little different, but along Lake Erie’s south shore that usually happens around mid-November and can continue until ice locks up the boat ramps.

“Once the water drops below 50-degrees into the 40s, you’re officially in cold-water trolling season,” Julien said.

Follow the Food: Shallow Bait, Shallow Walleyes

A windy neck-down area loaded with seagulls indicating the likely presence of baitfish. — No electronics needed to figure out where the baitfish are concentrated. Lots of seagulls means lots of baitfish, which means the big walleyes are surely in the area. | Photo by Kurt Mazurek

The water temperatures dictates when, but the baitfish provide the why and where behind the late season walleye trolling pattern. As lake temps cool, the river flows can provide slightly warmer water for the somewhat delicate baitfish, while also providing a nutrient rich environment where they can feed. And of course, the walleye and other predators will follow.

“You don't have to go out to 50ft of water to do well. The fish can be really shallow because the bait is shallow,” Julien explained. “I've seen ‘em thick enough in the river where even though you're in a 30ft shipping channel, your 2D is marking six-foot deep because the shad are that thick.”

It’s usually a good plan to start your search shallow early in the day, then slide slightly deeper midday, then follow them back into the shallowest areas late in the afternoon into the evening.

Slow Down: Trolling Speed Matters More Than Anything

“Most anglers troll too fast.” That’s Julien’s blunt assessment. “Guys do well in summer at 2.5 mph and want to do the same thing when the water is 44 degrees. It becomes critical to go that slower speed the walleye will respond to.”

Julien's speed system is straightforward:

55º to 45º water: Start at 1.5 mph
44º to 35º water: Start at 1.1 mph
But always go as fast as you can and still get bites

He fine-tunes his trolling pass by steering with a bow-mounted trolling motor on autopilot while using a 9.9 kicker equipped with iTroll digital throttle control to handle propulsion. That system allows Julien to dial in speed adjustments in tenths of a mile per hour.

The Daily Cold Water Walleye Bite Window

An angler rigging up lighted Church Tackle planer boards in the very early morning light, getting ready for a day of walleye. — The bite can be hot any time of the day in the cold water season, so you might as well start early. | Photo by Kurt Mazurek

Julien says confidently that you can catch walleye any time of the day or night during this part of the season, but he does notice a pattern that develops most days.

“First thing in the morning you might get a couple boards just pulled back without a hookup. Then, as the sun rises you’ll notice fish hooked on the back treble only. As the day goes on you’ll start to see fish crushing the the whole crankbait,” he said.

The Lures: Lazier Action, Bigger Profile

Four walleye crankbaits for cold water -Smithwick Perfect 10, Berkley Flicker Minnow, Rapala Husky Jerk, Bandit Walleye Deep. — These are Julien's favorite crankbaits for cold water—Smithwick Perfect 10, Berkley Flicker Minnow, Rapala Husky Jerk, Bandit Walleye Deep. | Smithwick | Berkley | Rapala | Bandit

As the water cools, walleyes show a preference for a more subtle, lazy, roll-heavy action rather than a wide, aggressive wobble. His most reliable cold-water baits include:

Smithwick Perfect 10
Berkley Flicker Minnow
Rapala Husky Jerk (shallow or deep)
Bandit Walleye (shallow or deep)

“The Perfect 10 is a big bait with a lazy action,” he said. “That’s what they want in cold water.”

He starts every day with a spread of different baits, watches what seems to be getting the most attention, then starts switching everything over to the hot lure. A lot of days, that means he’ll end up pulling a full spread of Perfect 10s.

closeup of a scattered assortment of walleye trolling crankbaits in front of several Church Tackle planer boards. — Start with an assortment of crankbait sizes and colors and let the fish tell you what they want. | Photo by Kurt Mazurek

Color is straightforward:

Clear water + bright sky: Metallic or natural
Dirty or stained water: Darker patterns

Size can be dependent on the bite that day:

Start with larger size baits -these will often produce best
Don’t automatically rule out smaller standard-size baits
Experiment and let the fish tell you what they want

“Those baitfish from spring have had all summer and all fall to bulk up. So, I think a bigger profile lure can help trigger bites this time of year”

The Reward: Giants in the Cold

Two anglers posing with a big walleye on a gray, cold, blustery day. — The weather doesn't feel nearly as cold when you're posing with beautiful, big walleyes. | Photo by Kurt Mazurek

Late-season trolling isn’t always comfortable for the angler, but the fish seem to really enjoy the colder temps. And for the hearty souls willing to layer up, the payoff is undeniable.

“We’ve been out when anything that touched the boat froze,” Julien recalled. “The deck ices up, the net freezes solid… but we caught plenty of nine-pounders that day.”

That’s the appeal of the late-season walleye trolling window. A lot of days you’ll be the only trailer in the parking lot, the fish are heavy and only trying to get heavier, and every time flag goes up and a board pulls back, it could be the biggest walleye you’ll catch all year.

With a few simple adjustments—slowing down, upsizing baits, and following the baitfish into the shallow, cold water, you’ll experience a bite you’ve dreamt about all summer and most anglers will never experience.