The perception might be that walleye fishing on Little Bay De Noc has slowed in recent years, but biologists claim there is a huge walleye population in the bay. Photo by Mike Gnatkowski.

If you want a little diversity in your walleye fishing, Michigan has it. The state boasts natural lakes and rivers, big and small, the Great Lakes and impoundments -- all topnotch walleye fisheries that produce great fishing at one time or another during the year. The tough part is deciding which one to try and when.

This selection of Michigan's best walleye waters should make the decision a little easier.

Saginaw Bay
The stage is set on Saginaw Bay for an incredible year of walleye fishing. If you don't take advantage of it, you're really missing the boat.

"What it boils down to is the disappearance of alewives in 2002 and 2003," Southern Lake Huron Management Unit fisheries supervisor Jim Baker said. "With the predatory alewives removed from the picture, it set the stage for an explosion in the walleye and perch populations. As the alewife numbers have stayed down, reproduction has continued to boom."

Adult alewives have been found to feast on young-of-the-year perch and walleyes.

Baker said the fish from the 2003 class were fat 18- and 19-inch walleyes that should increase by a few inches before the 2008 open-water season. Bumper crops from the 2004-2005 classes are waiting (and growing) in the wings, so there should be an abundance of frying pan-sized 'eyes this year.

"I almost felt guilty taking people out on the bay last year," walleye tournament pro and guide Bill St. Peter said. "Even if we sorted a little bit, we'd still be limited out in an hour or an hour and a half! Fishing was just crazy."

St. Peter said he relies mainly on crawler harnesses when fishing the bay.

"You can catch them on other things, but day in and day out, harnesses and meat seem to work the best," he said.

St. Peter fishes the harnesses off in-line boards with snap weights or in-line sinkers. "The snap weights give the harnesses a little different action than the in-line sinker does," he said.