Seasonal Walleye Patterns

Bull Shoals Lake is a Highland Reservoir with deep clear waters. With the lake depths sometimes reaching over 200 ft and can be difficult to locate. During the cold months of the year they are typically scattered and on the bottom underneath shed balls often at depths of 70 ft or more. In the spring they go through the spawning process and often move close to shore for feeding particularly in the late evening and just after sundown and can be targeted with jerk baits and Contour trolling crankbaits, as surface temperatures began to warm they will begin to hang out in the shallow areas during the day and can be targeted with the same presentation or bottom bouncing. Has the waters begin to warm even further, typically from May into July the thermocline will begin to set up and the walleye will stage near the thermocline and become much easier to Target. The summertime pattern will continue usually till the end of September at which point, sometimes overnight, the thermocline will dissolve and the upper part of the lake will turn over which will create water temperatures and oxygen to be distributed from top to bottom and once again the walleye are free to roam at any depth that they like and become hard to Target.