CANADIAN WALLEYE FISHING, TO DO IT RIGHT YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THE WALLEYE HABITATLets look at walleye characteristics and walleye habitat. Most people don’t consider the name of this fish when they hear it. Its just a walleye, just a name. Let’s take a closer look at the walleye habitat and characteristics of this super tasty, fun to catch sport fish. Walleye are named what they are for a reason, obviously that reason would be there eyes. They eyes of this fish are very different from most other fish’s eyes. Walleye eyes are designed to collect small amounts of light, much like a night vision scope for a rifle. Because of this walleye hunt more actively in low light conditions such as early morning or into the evening. Night fishing for walleye is also very effective when there is a bright moon to reflect light. Murky water that lets in less light throughout the day are also very good walleye hunting grounds. In clear water and on sunny days it is widely believed that walleye vision in reduced by over 70%. There eyes are simply to good at collecting light. This doesn’t mean you wont catch walleye on a bright sunny day, although, you will have to work a little harder to find the structure and depth that the feeding walleye are located in. Walleye live almost anywhere in a water body, they do have some preferred structure. Preferred structure would include a mixture of the following
Oxygen A deep weed bed provides oxygen and cover, a few boulders may provide shade and cool water, and a shallow rock shoal or island would provide good baitfish habitat. You have to see where these types of structure are located and you should find an area that will hold walleye. I use an underwater camera on a regular basis when fishing. More often than not the area of the lake that I find walleye in will look something like my crude little drawing below. 
There are no hard rules as to where a walleye habiat will exist. An area with a mix between light and heavy cover, some hard structure (rocks, stumps, old cars) and a step or shelf in the lake bottom are great starting points in any lake or reservoir. Remember when fishing for walleye you want to consider; Water Clarity Just make your best educated guess’s to where the right elements for the perfect walleye habitat come together and you should be well on your way to catching some great “eye’s”. I have only recently learned that moon phases really do seem to affect weather or not the fishing will be good. I always thought moon Phases and best fishing times were like horoscopes for fisherman – fun to think about but complete b.s. In 2005 an injury, surgery and recovery time had me off work for 13 long, long, long, long month. I decided to pick up a little book that was about lunar cycles. After going along with some of the times and days, I started to be convinced. After 3 years I am totally convinced that lunar cycles really do affect fish. The walleye habitat stays the same but there activity level seems to change alot. My walleye fishing has never been better. Get out there and catch some “eyes”
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