Wisconsin’s Walleye Opener Is Here—A Simple Plan to Catch Fish Fast

In most years, opening day success comes down to fishing shallower and slower than most anglers expect.

Opening day walleyes aren’t always aggressive, but the right presentation can still get them to bite. | Kurt Mazurek

The annual fishing celebration that is the Wisconsin walleye season opener is Saturday, May 2, so you really don’t have much time to figure out a plan—where to go, what to throw, and whether the sunrise bite is worth it. There is only one opening day of the season every year, so here's a simple plan that gives your best shot at making it one to remember.

Start With Water Temperature, Not the Map

Step one. What’s the water temp? The single most useful number you can know this Saturday morning is the water’s surface temperature anywhere you launch. Based on current trends and weather data, it looks like most of Wisconsin’s inland waters will be somewhere between 48 and 56 degrees. That temperature range means most walleye will probably have finished spawning, or will just be finishing up. They’ll be hungry, but they’ll be sluggish. They probably aren’t going to be excited about chasing down anything moving too fast.

If you find water above the 50-degree mark, you’re already most of the way there. Remember, stained, wind-protected bays on the north side of the lake warm first. Most years, opening day walleyes reward anglers who look for them shallower and present baits slower than everybody else.

Three Wisconsin Lake Types and Exactly How to Fish Each on Opening Day

A big Wisconsin walleye heading back into the water. | Kurt Mazurek

If you’re heading to one of the big southern inland lakes, like Pewaukee, Mendota, or Geneva, you’ll typically find a predictable spring bite on rock-to-mud transition lines in 8 to 12 feet of water. A proven walleye presentation like a 1/8-ounce jig with a fathead minnow, worked slowly along those edges, is hard to beat.

For Wisconsin’s mid-northern flowages, like Chippewa, Eau Claire Chain, or the Turtle-Flambeau, use subtle currents to your advantage. Specifically, look for current breaks below the dams to hold post-spawn fish that haven't moved out yet. A live-bait rig with a minnow or leech, or a small jerkbait worked methodically just upstream of the current seams, should get bit. And always use extra caution around dams or in heavy current.

For those in the far north, considering lakes like Big St. Germain, Round, or Oneida, shallow, stained bays, especially along the northern shore, warm several days ahead of the main lake. That's where you’ll find the biggest concentration of active walleyes this weekend. A slightly subdued-action jerkbait like a Rapala Husky Jerk in clown or perch color, twitched slowly along sand-to-weed edge transitions during low-light, is something a lot of anglers overlook.

Three Opening Day Mistakes That Cost Anglers Fish

Most of the reasons anglers don't have a successful opening day are easy to fix. | Kurt Mazurek

Yes, opening day is supposed to be about getting back on the water and knocking the rust off your casting arm while having a little fun. While that’s perfectly fine for most folks, it doesn’t mean you can’t also have a successful day of fishing. But there are three things that keep most people from bringing home a limit of opening day ‘eyes, and they're all easy to fix.

1.) Your presentations should be slow and steady. The fish just aren’t feeling like chasing yet. They’ll eat, but they’re not aggressive. Slow everything—your bait’s drop speed, you retrieve, and even your trolling pass. Give the walleye an easy target to catch.

2.) Don’t fish too deep. It’s still pretty early in the year and water is still pretty cold. Don’t be that guy sitting on a 30-foot hump because that's where you caught them last July. The walleyes will get to that spot eventually, but they aren’t there now.

3.) Don’t hit the water without a temperature gauge. Most boats with any sort of electronics from the past 20 years should have this ability, but even an inexpensive, hand-held surface-temp gauge can tell you quickly if you're in the wrong bay.

Why Opening Day Still Matters

A great day of fishing doesn't have to include a limit of walleye, but it doesn't hurt. | Kurt Mazurek

Consider sharing the experience. Bring a kid, or your dad, or that guy from the office who always asks how your fishing trips went but you know he never gets out on his own. Wisconsin's fishing opener is a pretty great tradition that really does feel like a celebration of our sport. It doesn't take catching a limit of tasty walleyes to make it a day to remember, but it never hurts.