Early Spring Fishing Locations & Techniques

Brian Brosdahl breaks down everything you need to know to catch walleyes, perch, crappies and sunfish just after ice-out in early spring. He goes in-depth on fish location and movement, as well as tactics you can use to put a boatload of fish in the net!

During early spring right as the ice goes out perch look for a place to spawn and can do so quickly. Once the females are gone the males may linger around these areas like old weed beds, brush piles, and cabbage. The biggest fish spawn in deeper water.

Crappies run shallow to feed and warm up based upon water temps as it creeps up to 50 degrees and it can be flats and shallow bays. The warmest area of the like from 4-6 feet of water around vegetation or wood will hold the most fish. It’s a big combination of factors right after ice-out. When crappies comes to spawn as water hits low 60’s they want to go to hard bottom areas off weedlines where they can feed before the spawn.

Bluegill may be the most warm water fish of all and wherever you find crappies bluegills will be shallower and around mud where the can pick off insects. They are the last fish to spawn on the lake in early-mid summer.

Walleyes want to run right after ice-out in rivers and creeks, while lakes they want to spawn in gravel and weeds with some aeration and wave action. These are important details when tracking the walleye spawn. Key temps are up to 45-50 and males will linger after the females have left.

Regardless of the species nothing beats a good bobber bite and our lite-bite bobber is a major key to getting those spooky fish to eat and not feel the weight or resistance of the setup.