Quality Fishing.  Numbers and size remain available for walleye anglers on Lake Sakakawea as summer transitions to fall.  Deeper fish are the norm, so keep those walleyes caught from more than 25 feet of water. DEO Photo by Mike Peluso.

By Mike Peluso

It’s hard to believe we are already at the beginning of school and football season. Summer buzzed by us way too quickly here. I still have quite a few days left here of guiding for walleyes on both Devils Lake and Lake Sakakawea, so here it goes.

I left Devils Lake in the middle of last week, and when I did the walleye bite was still going strong. With a little bit of a cold front and maybe the water dropping some and weed growth slowing down, the fish are going to go into transition mode. My guess is that crank baits are going to be the way to go to put fish in the box. Don’t get me wrong, you can still catch them anyway you want, but for numbers of walleyes and speed, cranks will be the ticket.

Sakakawea hasn’t disappointed me at all since returning. I’m hearing people talk about how the walleye fishing has become slow or slower. IF it’s compared to those summer gangbuster limits caught in an hour, of course it’s going to seem slow compared to what it has been this season. Overall, in a realistic sense, it’s still really good.

I’ve been catching Sakakawea’s walleyes on crawlers and bottom bouncers for my clients. If I were tournament fishing, I would spot lock on the fish marks and use creek chubs and jig raps and wait it out. It’s not exactly easy to do, but you will catch some really nice walleyes this way.

There are also lots of nice fish being caught. Cranks will work also, and I’m guessing in the right areas one could fill the livewell fast. The bulk of the walleyes are still deep yet. 25 to 50 feet seems about the average location. In those deep waters, please keep those fish. What people don’t realize is when you release that fish you think swam away, it actually pops the bladder and torpedoes to the bottom and dies. I’ve talked to a few divers that tell me it looks like a horror movie in some of the more popular areas with all the white bellies on the bottom.

All in all though, the walleye fishing is still pretty darn good! I think our fall is going be even more spectacular! 

Mike Peluso is a Dakota Edge Outdoors contributing writer and a licensed ND fishing guide specializing in trophy walleyes on the state’s premier waters.