MAUMEE RIVER RUN

   As winter nears its end and the Great Lakes begin to thaw, warming waters send the signal to tens of thousands of walleyes to start their annual migration to where their life began, The Maumee River. This river offers the largest population of migrating walleyes east of the Mississippi River. These walleyes are made up of two separate groups of fish. One group coming from Lake St. Clair that makes up 40% of the population and the rest coming from the Western Basin of Lake Erie. The walleyes migrating up the river from the Western Basin are a separate group than the fish that spawn on the reefs of Lake Erie. Once these fish near the mouth of the river they will stage in Maumee Bay. Then the fishing begins.

       Normally, fishermen will start wading the river late February or early March depending on river conditions. Also, let me mention that right after ice-out you can fish for northern pike at the dam in the town of Grand Rapids. This will last thru march, using large shiners, chubs, or suckers with a float. Shallow diving jerk baits also work, but you might want to bring extras. You will occasionally snag up.

       Back to walleyes, after ice-out when the water temp. reaches near the upper 30's is when you will start seeing a little action. The two things that predict good fishing and fish movement are water temp. and current. As water temp. rises, fish become more active in two different ways. 1. Fish in the rapids will feed more. 2. Warmer water reaching the river mouth will make more fish migrate up stream. Typically the second or third day after the warming trend, fishing will pick up. Current also plays a big role in fish movement. As water rises and the current speeds up, the fish at the river mouth will move upstream. It is possible to have several runs of fish during a single spring migration. Therefore, we have fish in several stages of spawn at one time. Fish normally are not too interested in feeding during spawn, but because they are in different stages of spawn, there will always be some fish willing to take the bait. Spawn usually takes place around the second week of April give or take a few days. Pre-spawn and during spawn is a good time to get a trophy fish ( 10-14 lbs). If you're not interested in getting a fish mounted there's nothing wrong with releasing a few fish. Now if you're interested in getting some nice eating walleyes try fishing post-spawn. Post-spawn takes place usually the third week of April thru May and into June. This time of the run is when fish are hungry ( after spawn). Fish range in weight from 1-4 lbs with a few bigger. Mostly the fish will all be males (jacks) because once spawn is over, the vast majority of females go back to the lakes they came from. Males will stay behind in the river and feed for weeks before going back to the lakes. In 1999 the post-spawn part of the run was reported to be the best fishing ever. Some limits were caught in as little time as 45min. to 2 hrs.

       Let's talk Fishing Regulations. Click onto Regulations to get the written rules. Now there are some rules that you won't find in the Ohio Fishing Regulations, but are just common sense to most of us. For new visitors to the Maumee River, these rules are important so you have a trouble free outing.

1. All fish not hooked on the inside of the mouth (fouled hooked) must be released.

2. Make sure everybody in your party has their own stringer.  If you are attaching your friends fish to your stringer, as soon  as you have one fish over the state limit  your over bagged. Even if  the fish are from three different people. No exceptions!

3. Netting fish. Don't net fish for anyone outside your party. If you net someone's fish and this fish is foul hooked and they keep it, you are an accessory to the crime.  

4. Culling fish is allowed as long as you are releasing fish from a   stringer with snaps. Fish kept on a snap stringer are normally unharmed and can be released in good shape. Fish cannot be released from a rope stringer in good shape. Do not release dying or dead fish.

      Walleyes are easy to catch, but like any other fishing it takes patience and practice.