2010 Walleye Fishing Forecast
Small Lakes
Lake Brittle
Lake Brittle continues to be one of the best places in the northern Virginia piedmont to catch a walleye. Anglers targeting walleye report good success at this small impoundment with most fish caught in the two to three pound range and the occasional fish up to five pounds. Fisheries sampling continues to document good survival of stocked walleye fingerlings and a strong population of walleye up to age five reside in Lake Brittle. Recent data from the ongoing tagging study has shown that angler catch and harvest rates for walleye are higher than previously thought and as a result an 18-inch minimum size limit was put into effect during 2009. Angler success seems to be the highest during the late spring and early summer.
Biologists will be tagging walleyes again in 2010 at Lake Brittle as part of a 3-year tagging study to evaluate angler catch and harvest. A cash reward of 20 dollars is offered for the return of the tag and catch information. Anglers can remove the tag by cutting through the monofilament attachment with a knife or scissors. The fish can then be released or harvested. Return the tag and catch information to the address printed on the tag. Catch information includes: date, general location of catch, "Was the fish harvested or released?", "Were you fishing for walleyes?", and "Did you catch any other walleyes on this fishing trip?"
Lake Orange
Anglers hoping to catch a decent walleye while fishing for multiple species should look no further than Lake Orange. Walleye have been stocked into this northern piedmont impoundment for years, and current management includes annual stockings of walleye fingerlings. Generally, survival of stocked fingerlings is good and the current age structure is comprised of fish up to age-15, with most of the population less than age-8. Walleye growth at Orange is fast to age four, averaging 20 inches and three pounds, but growth slows beyond age four with fish seldom reaching 26 inches. Anglers occasionally catch walleye in the six to eight pound range. Most walleyes are caught during the late spring and early summer by anglers fishing Lake Orange for bass, although a few anglers do specifically fish for walleyes at this location. Anglers should also be aware that an 18-inch minimum size limit was placed on all walleyes caught at Lake Orange during 2009.
Hungry Mother Lake
The lake level at Hungry Mother Lake is back to normal following the dredging project. The dredging project should provide improved fish habitat and boat navigation in the shallow areas of the reservoir. Walleye fishing pressure was lighter than usual in 2009 due to limited access during the important months of April and May. This should mean more walleyes for anglers to catch in 2010. Anglers should note that in 2009 an 18-inch minimum size limit was established for walleye in Hungry Mother Lake.
This 108-acre lake in Southwest Virginia provides anglers with a great opportunity to catch walleyes in a small lake setting. Located in Hungry Mother State Park, the lake is also a great destination for families. The walleye population is increasing steadily. There are good numbers of fish up to about 20 inches, and enough bigger ones to cause anglers to lose some sleep again this year. A few walleyes are caught in late February, but the month of March generally signals the beginning of the walleye fishing season. April, May and June are probably the best three months, and night fishing is generally more productive. Alewives are the primary forage for walleyes in Hungry Mother Lake. During these three months the alewives move into shallow water at night to spawn. The spawning alewives swim in tight circles, creating a swirling noise. Most anglers use artificial lures to imitate the spawning alewives, but live shad, minnows and night crawlers are also effective. After June the walleyes seem to be harder to catch. During July, August and September anglers should concentrate their efforts in water less than 15 feet deep, because oxygen is limited at depths below 15 feet. Live bait will probably produce more strikes than artificial lures during this late summer period. During the day walleyes tend to be close to structure, like submerged trees. At night, or on cloudy days, walleyes move away from structure to feed on suspended schools of alewives.
Biologists will be tagging walleyes in Hungry Mother Lake again in 2010 as part of a statewide study. A cash reward of 20 dollars is offered for the return of the tag and catch information. Anglers can remove the tag by cutting through the monofilament attachment with scissors or a knife. The fish can then be released or harvested. Return the tag and catch information to the address printed on the tag. Catch information includes: date, time and general location of catch, "Was the fish harvested or released?", "Were you fishing for walleyes?", and "Did you catch other walleyes on this fishing trip?"
Lake Robertson
If your goal is to hook into an occasional walleye while focusing on largemouth bass or catfish, this hidden jewel might be what you are looking for. Lake Robertson was stocked with walleye beginning in 1983, with the intention of controlling the growing sunfish population and adding diversity to the lake. It succeeded in both cases. Today, a low density walleye population inhabits this clear impoundment, adding to the robust largemouth bass and channel catfish fishery. Walleye growth is very good; it takes three years for fish to reach the 20-inch minimum limit. One Lake Robertson walleye measured 27 inches and 8 pounds, so trophies can be found. A good time to catch a walleye at Lake Robertson is in March or April, before or after the fish have spawned. Since walleye prefer hard substrate, you can best locate these nocturnal creatures near the dam in the spring.
Lake Whitehurst
On November 1, 2009, the Lake Whitehurst fishing station and boat ramp located off Shore Drive in Virginia Beach closed permanently to public access. The property owner, Norfolk Airport Authority, did not renew the lease agreement with the City of Norfolk, thereby restricting public boat access to Lake Whitehurst. Norfolk Airport Authority cited future airport expansion plans and the runway protection zone needed for the construction of a parallel runway as the reasons for closing the facility. The lake itself will remain open for fishing and boating, however access will be extremely limited. Anglers should note that the Little Creek portion of Lake Whitehurst, located off Northampton Boulevard, will remain open to the public. Due to this decision, and the virtual elimination of public access, the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) discontinued fisheries management activities at Lake Whitehurst, including fish stockings. VDGIF will be working with the local municipalities in an effort to locate an alternative public access site for Lake Whitehurst. Until another public access point can be negotiated, walleye anglers should consider the walleye fishing opportunities at Little Creek Reservoir.
Little Creek Reservoir
Anglers should see improved success with the walleye fishery at Little Creek Reservoir. This 947-acre reservoir in James City County is part of the City of Newport News Reservoir system. Public fishing access is provided through the James City County Parks & Recreation Department. After several years without any walleye stockings, DGIF was able to stock 18,000 walleye fingerlings into Little Creek Reservoir in 2008. A remnant population from stockings completed prior to 2000 still provides action to the dedicated angler willing to scout out the reservoir. Several four to seven pound walleyes were caught by anglers over the last few years.
Fall 2009 walleye sampling efforts yielded 132 walleyes. The majority of the walleyes collected were juvenile fish in the 9 to 12-inch range. A decent number of walleyes in the one to three pound range were also collected. Every walleye was tagged with a Floy tag to assign a unique number to each fish. This tagging project is a separate study and not associated with the walleye tagging study that is underway on several other waters in the state. There are no monetary rewards for any of the tagged fish from Little Creek Reservoir. However, angler assistance in reporting the tag number and size of any walleyes caught will assist fisheries biologists in determining growth and survival rates. The information will be used to better manage the walleye fishery. The future looks even brighter for the walleye population with the 2010 stocking request set to hopefully provide an increased stocking rate of 100 fingerlings per acre. The clear water and steep-sided banks will have most anglers trying to catch fish in deep water off of the many points that make up the topography of the reservoir. Boat anglers can only use electric trolling motors. Anglers are encouraged to have at least two batteries to efficiently cover the many creek arms and coves of the reservoir.
Reservoirs
South Holston Reservoir
South Holston should provide great walleye fishing in 2010. Reservoir levels were much higher throughout the season in 2009. Based on angler reports this didn't make the walleyes any easier to catch. However, sampling conducted in 2009 indicated that the walleye population is still in great shape. This reservoir provides year-round fishing opportunities for walleyes. A spring "run" takes place in the South Fork Holston River near the community of Alvarado from late February through April. Fishing generally peaks during mid-March. Most anglers fishing the headwaters area fish at night with floating minnow baits like the number 9 or number 11 Rapala. Some anglers use jigs or jigs tipped with live bait. During April, May and June anglers find walleyes feeding along the shorelines of the lake. Again, shallow running lures fished at night is the preferred presentation. When walleyes move deeper during the summer months, many anglers have success trolling nightcrawler harnesses on leadcore line or bottom bouncers during the daytime. Trollers usually concentrate their efforts at depths between 15 and 25 feet during the summer months. Some anglers also catch walleyes at these depths using jigging spoons. Points and flats are the most popular locations, but any shoreline with fairly consistent depths could produce walleyes. Fall fishing is definitely growing in popularity. The same lures and techniques used in the spring can be successful when the water cools down in September and October. Winter fishing calls for jigging spoons or jigs and live minnows. The winter months provide an interesting opportunity for anglers to fish for walleyes when other fishing opportunities and outdoor activities in general are limited. Very few anglers are taking advantage of the winter walleye fishing opportunities. Our sampling indicates that the walleyes are fairly active in the winter months, particularly the month of February. Since 2008, we have spent a considerable amount of time on South Holston Reservoir during February collecting walleyes for the statewide tagging study. We have collected decent numbers of fish along the shoreline in relatively shallow water (less than 10 feet) the first two weeks of February. Good numbers of walleyes and some really big female walleyes are moving around the reservoir and often are congregated along certain shorelines by mid to late February. These congregations seem to move on a daily basis. A particular bank may hold great numbers of fish one day and have almost no fish the next day. Big females can be found along the lake's upper shorelines through mid-March. Most of the male walleyes move into the river by early March.
Anglers should note that there is an 18-inch minimum length limit in effect for walleye in South Holston Reservoir, and in the Middle Fork and South Fork Holston Rivers. Biologists will be tagging walleyes in South Holston Reservoir again in 2010 as part of a statewide study. A cash reward of 20 dollars is offered for the return of the tag and catch information. Anglers can remove the tag by cutting through the monofilament attachment with scissors or a knife. The fish can then be released or harvested (minimum length limits apply). Return the tag and catch information to the address printed on the tag. Catch information includes: date, time and general location of catch, "Was the fish harvested or released?", "Were you fishing for walleyes?", and "Did you catch other walleyes on this fishing trip?"
Flannagan Reservoir
The walleye population in Flannagan Reservoir has made a nice comeback following the fish kill of 2004. The fish kill combined with poor survival of stocked fingerlings in 2003, 2004 and 2005 greatly reduced walleye numbers. Excellent survival of walleye fingerlings stocked in 2006 started the population on the road to recovery. There should be good numbers of walleye over 18 inches this year. Most of the 2006 year class should exceed 18 inches in length. Survival of year classes stocked since 2006 also looks good based on recent sampling.
Walleyes moving into the Pound and Cranesnest Rivers during the early spring months provide some exciting fishing opportunities. The 2009 spring walleye run offered some good walleye fishing for the dedicated group of anglers who fish in the Cranesnest River practically every evening during the spring months. Most anglers use floating minnow plugs and start fishing just before dusk. These anglers seldom catch their limit of walleyes, but obviously catch enough to keep their interest peaked. Some really nice fish were landed in 2009. During April, May and June walleyes can also be caught on shallow running plugs fished at night along the shorelines of the reservoir. It is during these months that alewives, the primary forage of Flannagan walleyes, move into shallow water at night to spawn. Trolling with lead core line is the preferred technique after the water temperatures soar in the summer months. A 10 pound, 12-ounce trophy walleye was landed by a Flannagan walleye angler trolling crawler harnesses in June of 2009. Some anglers also catch walleyes fishing with live bait under lights at night. Anglers should note that there is an 18-inch minimum size limit in effect for walleye in Flannagan Reservoir.
Leesville Reservoir
The 2010 fishing season for walleye at Leesville Reservoir will probably be a challenging one. This fishery supports a fair number of big fish but the overall numbers of walleye are lower than most Virginia walleye lakes. Limited numbers of fingerling walleye available for stocking in recent years has resulted in a modest stocking rate for Leesville Reservoir. As a consequence, the walleye population at Leesville is much lower than desired.
Anglers should expect most of the walleyes they catch to be in the 18 to 21-inch size range with an occasional big fish. Walleye at Leesville have good growth rates and typically reach 18 inches between their second and third year. The most productive walleye fishing areas are between Leesville Dam and mile marker "6". Night fishing in May and June with floating or shallow running plugs is a good option. Walleye often frequent water less than two feet deep at night during the spring and early summer. During daylight hours, fish the shoreline contour targeting depths of five to fifteen feet. Walleye are very light sensitive and prefer dark or shaded habitat. As a consequence, these fish will frequent shallower depths if the water is shaded or stained but will remain deeper during the day if the water is clear. Rock cliffs and steeper shorelines should be the most productive with some coves also holding additional walleye. As water temperatures increase in late spring and throughout the summer, walleye move deeper seeking cooler water. Leesville can be a challenge to fish due to extreme daily water fluctuations, but very light fishing and boating pressure can provide solitude for anglers looking to avoid crowds and boat traffic.
Philpott Reservoir
The 2010 fishing season for walleye at Philpott Reservoir should be very good. Philpott Reservoir has one of the better walleye populations in Virginia for numbers of fish. This fishery does not contain many large fish, however. There will be a lot of smaller walleyes around the 18" minimum size limit this year due to good survival of recently stocked year classes. Walleyes reach 18 inches at about three years of age and most of the male walleyes grow very slowly after reaching this size. Female walleye typically grow well for another few years with some achieving larger sizes. Citation-sized walleye are occasionally landed.
Anglers who spend time learning angling techniques that are productive for walleye and fish in the late May through September period should have success. Topwater night fishing is very popular and productive in May and June during the alewife spawn. By late June, walleye start moving into deeper water and most are caught on nightcrawler harnesses and plugs trolled in deeper water. As water temperatures increase throughout the summer, walleye continue to move deeper seeking cooler water. Anglers must fish deeper throughout the summer to capitalize on this fishery. Catching a few walleye per outing should be considered good and catching a limit of five walleye, a very good trip. Anglers should expect most of the fish they catch to be in the 17 to 20-inch size range. Approximately 25 percent of the legal size walleye (18-inch minimum) are at least 20 inches long and about five percent are longer than 22 inches.
Biologists will be tagging walleyes in Philpott Reservoir again in 2010 as part of a statewide study. A cash reward of 20 dollars is offered for the return of the tag and catch information. Anglers can remove the tag by cutting through the monofilament attachment with scissors or a knife. The fish can then be released or harvested (minimum length limits apply). Return the tag and catch information to the address printed on the tag. Catch information includes: date, time and general location of catch, "Was the fish harvested or released?", "Were you fishing for walleyes?", and "Did you catch other walleyes on this fishing trip?" There are a few walleye still remaining that were tagged in 2002, 2003 and 2006. These fish have abdominal orange tags and the reward for these tags varies from $5 to $50. Walleye tagged in 2009 and 2010 will have tags located near the dorsal (top) fin. Return the same information mentioned above with all tags collected.
Rivers
Upper New River
In 2009, high river levels and heavy rains kept the river colored up and the increased flows made walleye fishing difficult. Walleye fishing in 2010 should be better than 2009 on the upper New River from Fries Dam downstream to Allisonia. Crankbaits, jigs and live minnows work well during the late winter and spring seasons. Catch rates of walleye from sampling in 2009 were high and this should hold true for angler catch rates in 2010. Data from walleye tag returns indicate that New River anglers caught the most walleyes during the months of February through April in 2009, but walleyes were caught throughout the year. There is a 20-inch minimum size limit on walleye. So throw back the little ones and catch them again.
Some walleyes that anglers catch in 2010 may have a tag in them as part of a study being done by fish biologists with the Department. So far anglers have caught about 25 percent of the walleye tagged by the Department each year. If you catch a walleye with a tag, send it in with the information required and you will receive a cash reward of 20 dollars. Anglers can remove the tag by cutting through the monofilament attachment with scissors or a knife. The fish can then be released or harvested (minimum length limits apply). Return the tag and catch information to the address printed on the tag. Catch information includes: date, time and general location of catch, "Was the fish harvested or released?", "Were you fishing for walleyes?", and "Did you catch other walleyes on this fishing trip?"
Staunton River
Walleye fishing in the Staunton River should be excellent in 2010. Anglers should concentrate on the reach from Leesville Dam to Brookneal. During the late winter and early spring, anglers should explore the area immediately below Leesville Dam. During the remainder of the year, walleye are distributed throughout the river, often hanging along the shoreline near fallen trees. Food is abundant in the Staunton River and anglers should try to imitate the abundant shad, perch and sucker populations with crank baits. Night crawlers are always a safe bet for walleye as well. With the abundant forage base, cool water temperatures from Leesville Dam releases, and the quality habitat, anglers will be pleased with both the number of walleye and the sizes of fish.
Clinch River
Walleye are native to the Clinch River, and are available in low densities throughout most of the river. Walleye have been stocked into the Clinch River each year since 2005, and sampling catch rates are notably improved. Consistent stocking should improve fishing opportunities over the next few seasons. For now, anglers should focus their efforts at the times and locations that concentrate walleyes. For example, during March walleyes often congregate for spawning. Most of the walleyes from several miles of river will gather in one or two locations. Spawning walleyes usually congregate in pools just downstream of significant ledges and shoals during daylight hours and then they move into shallow water at night to spawn. Another good location is where a creek enters the river. These types of locations will also be concentrate walleyes during the hot summer months when water temperatures rise and dissolved oxygen levels become a concern. Tributary creeks often have cooler temperatures and the water just downstream from shoals and ledges often has more oxygen as a result of aeration that takes place as water drops over the ledges. Walleyes are almost always more active in low light conditions. Try to fish at dawn and dusk, or even at night if you can fish safely. If you can only fish during the daytime, try to fish when clouds, rain or murky water limits light penetration. Under these conditions, walleye will be more active during the daylight hours.
More Information
For more information, contact the following offices:
| Waterbody | Contact |
|---|---|
| Leesville and Philpott Reservoirs, Staunton River | Forest Office: (434) 525-7522, Extension 103 |
| Lakes Orange and Brittle | Fredericksburg Office: (540) 889-4169 |
| Lake Robertson | Verona Office: (540) 248-9360 |
| Little Creek Reservoir | Charles City Office: (804) 829-6580 |
| Upper New River and Clinch River, South Holston Reservoir, Flannagan Reservoir, Hungry Mother Lake |
Marion Office: (276) 783-4860 |