Stained water question.

[John Mickish]

How would you guys fish a lake (open water) with very poor water clarity (3 ft or less). This lake has decent crappie and walleye in it and also dosen't have any real structure to speak of. No defined weedline or anything else to key on. Help, Im stumped. (planning summer fishing already!)

[PerchJerker]

Regarding the walleyes, it sounds ideal for open water trolling or contour trolling. Cover some water, search for fish, rule out unproductive areas. It's worth a shot.

Be sure to watch your electronics, look for areas with fish and areas without fish, and try to figure out where they are and why. Good luck.

[John Mickish]

I have never fished this lake in the summer and think I might give it a try this summer. I'm thinking a guy would have to troll some sort of noisy crank around. The lake gets down to about 30 ft deep, with the water that stained do you think the walleys would be deep or would they be more interested in water temperature?

[Roughfisher]

In some lakes in southern Minnesota, which are very stained, you'll find walleyes sometimes in two feet of water - during the day!

[Random guy]

Quote:

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How would you guys fish a lake (open water) with very poor water clarity (3 ft or less). This lake has decent crappie and walleye in it and also dosen't have any real structure to speak of. No defined weedline or anything else to key on. Help, Im stumped. (planning summer fishing already!)

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Sounds like home. I would hire a guide and see what he does.

Look for spots that are holding bait fish pods and concentrate trolling those areas with lures or presentations that incorporate bottom contact. Bottom contact will do a few things for you:

1)It makes noise

2)Causes the presentation to have sudden speed and direction changes

3)Creates a "dust trail" stained water fish love dust trails

or

Find areas where clean fresh water feeds into the stained water and check out the stainlines similar to mudlines when river fishing.

[Team Otter]

Definitely an opportunity to cash in on locating and fishing transition areas.

[Borch]

In the situation you described with little structure, stained water the key will be more subtle structural elements and food. In stained water weed growth will be minimal. The weedline is most likely going to be shallow and sparse. However, they will hold fish if they are present. Also look for transition areas, (sand to gravel, gravel to rock, sand to muck), current areas, those sparse weeds, schools of baitfish, shoreline with a quicker drop to trap baitfish against, docks/swimming platforms or other manmade structure or anything else that is different that the rest of the lake.

Cover water quickly by trolling or casting crankbaits, pitching jigs, pulling spinners until you find a pattern.

Fish will be where there is food. Find the food and you'll find the fish.

[Questor]

I'd find another lake and forget about this one.

[riverrat56]

3 FT! Wow I wish I could see that far in some lakes I fish.

Don't give up on the lake, keep covering water and in bowl shaped lakes there are still breaks, just much smaller, they can be fisheg but you need to be precise. Transition areas are much easier to fish and find. Crappies still must spawn someplace and will likely look for mud on the northside of the lake, if you can find them during the spawn, then a few weeks later a good place to start is out in maybe 8-14 ft of water because the crappies will be sliding back out.

Cover water, try using lowlight techniques all day long as the dark water will limit light penetration and may eliminate most night feeding.

[Bassboy1645]

just like back home! The water is stained for a reason though....it may be the bottom type or the algea in the water. If your looking for eyes and its an honest to goddness bowl lake laking structure you might have to take a bass fishing approach to catching eyes. Cast shallow running cranks to shorelines and or docks as if bass fishing. many times bass out number the eyes but I discovered a hot bite in the middle of the day once on one of my first outings back home. There has to be some kind of vegitation somehwere also look for stumps or logs in the water. May also hold eyes as well. As otter metntioned bottom types that change can be good places. When all the "rules" for catching walleyes dont apply there are no "rules" to break so try something new and out of the ordinary. You might discover a sleeper lake for monster eyes.