Photo by Ron Sinfelt

By Jim Barta

Anticipating a chance to get in a fun-filled day of catching walleyes is enough to give any enthusiastic angler an extra dose of adrenaline. And we all know that Michigan offers people many destinations to enjoy great walleye fishing. Our state has world-class walleye action in rivers, big-water fishing that's second to none, and hundreds of walleye-infested inland lakes.

Although each waterbody offers its own unique style of fun, the fishing that takes place on rivers or big water often requires high-tech or high-priced equipment. On the other hand, inland lakes can be enjoyed just as much while not requiring one's whole bankroll to do it.

Here are some of our state's top inland walleye lakes you should target this season.

"Several years ago, we planted a total of 130,000 fingerlings per year in Union," said Jeff Braunscheidel, Department of Natural Resources fisheries biologist. "The walleyes have done quite well as revealed by our electro-shocking efforts. We've found a number of healthy, mature adults since then."

Although it reaches a maximum depth of 110 feet, at 465 acres, Union Lake is fairly easy to figure out. Some of the more productive spots include a point on the south side of the lake and two sunken islands along the northern shore.

Shortly after the mid-May opener, anglers begin taking walleyes by targeting the 15- to 22-foot depths around these islands. A jig-and-minnow combination is usually the best bet for these early season walleyes. As the year progresses, crawler harnesses or jigs tipped with leeches or crawlers will be the most productive bait to use.

Union Lake's only public access can be found along the north shore. For more information on Union, contact the DNR office in Livonia at (734) 953-0241. For lodging information, call the Oakland County Chamber of Commerce at (248) 683-4747.

"Our last census shows that Kent has about four adult walleyes per acre, with about half of them 4 pounds or better," said Towns. "That's well above the state average."

Despite the seemingly great news about this fishery, Towns also admits that it can be a bit tricky to fish with the vast weed growth that takes place here.

Some of the better spots on this 1,000-acre lake can be found along the edge of a channel that winds its way around much of Kent. Schools of walleyes will hold along these edges to feed while settling low into its bottom during the heat of the day. The riprap along the Interstate 96 side of the lake and the various breaklines surrounding the islands will hold plenty fish as well.

Jigs tipped with minnows will take the majority of fish for the first couple weeks after the season opener. After that, look for leech-tipped jigs and crawler rigs to be the ticket.

Boats can be rented through the Kensington Metropark, which is open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. For information on Kent Lake, call the Metropark at (248) 685-1561.

The slope of the bottom here is mostly gradual with only a couple places where holes can be found. In some respects, this can be considered good news as well as bad. It's good news for the angler who prefers to target only small pockets of deep water where walleyes will typically hold. But for the person who is unfamiliar with the lake, it's mostly shallow, flat bottom leaves you puzzled as to just where to begin your angling efforts.

In recent years, the secret to pulling walleyes from Houghton Lake was trolling the edges of the various weedlines. In 2001, however, local residents choose to rid the lake of much of this vegetation. The resulting open water left many anglers without their standard means of locating fish. With much of the weeds removed, anglers would do well to cover as much water as possible by trolling crankbaits or spinner rigs. Once a fish is caught, mark the spot and circle back through it a couple more times.

During the early season, a good place to begin your fishing efforts can be found off the public boat ramp near M-55. The walleyes will hold in 4 to 6 feet of water early in the morning while making their way into one of two 9- to 12-foot holes just to the north.

A 15-foot hole area can be found in a bay on the lake's west shore. This area will hold good numbers of walleye in the summer and well into fall. Here, try trolling the remaining weeds with a crawler harness or drift with a Lindy Rig.

The weeds and a dropoff in an area referred to as the Middle Grounds will hold walleyes throughout much of the summer when boating activity is at its highest. This section is only 8 to 12 feet deep, but the fish here are often scattered and difficult to locate. Look for trolling to work best here, but be sure to get out before the main armada.

For information on lodging, contact the Houghton Lake Chamber of Commerce at (989) 366-5644. For fishing information, call The Edgewater Beach Marina at (989) 422-4221.

"Hubbard Lake has several strong year-classes of walleyes present and enjoys ample natural reproduction, which is bolstered by occasional large fingerling plants," said Tom Moore of Hubbard Lake. "I've been a resident of this area for over 20 years and I'm still fascinated with the fishing on Hubbard. I strongly recommend that anglers bring a lake chart with them to locate the breaklines and holes. That's where your fish will be most of the time."

According to Moore, a number of techniques will take walleyes from Hubbard.

"During the summer, trolling techniques will take the majority of fish," he said. "You have to be prepared to pull spinners or crankbaits through some rather deep water. During the early part of the season, before the temperatures get too high, you should be able to pull out a limit from shallow areas. But once it gets hot, start working deep."

Right after the season opener, begin to target the dropoffs around Churchill Point and Doctor's Point using live bait, spinner rigs and jigs tipped with minnows. As the season progresses, switch the minnows out for a leech or crawler.

One key element to catching Hubbard Lake walleyes involves the use of a good sonar unit. This lake gets rather deep and has a number of fish-holding ledges. A good number of walleyes can be taken off these ledges if you can find and stay over them.

For bait and tackle, contact the Side Door Bait and Tackle in Lincoln at (989) 736-6418. For additional fishing information, call South Bay Marina at (989) 736-6418. Lodging contacts can be made through the Alpena Chamber of Commerce by calling (989) 354-4181.