By Jason Mitchell

Fall walleye fishing is often heralded by anglers as one of the best times of the year for good fishing.  Plenty of big fish potential as females begin to put on egg mass.  Fall patterns are often drawn out and consistent.  Compared to the spring, there are way fewer boats to compete against compared to the same fisheries after ice out.  Compared to spring, I would also dare say that the patterns and locations also hold out longer.  Yes, fall is a prime time if you love to walleye fish and target big fish.

Many of the best bites however happen later in the fall.  Depending on where you live, the prime fall patterns might set up in mid to late October with some of the absolute best fishing happening in November or even December.  The best fishing often coincides with brutal weather conditions.  I have joked that the coldest I have ever been in my life is in a boat in November. 

Where does that leave September?  September is considered fall fishing but how fish set up in September is completely different than November.  I would dare argue that early fall sees a lot more transition and change.  Fish can be much more scattered especially before the turnover.  There will be fish shallow and deep.  Early fall fish can also move a lot where you can have a more difficult time putting consecutive days together in a row. 

September walleye fishing often means running and gunning as many good spots as time allows and simply covering water.  Fish are often transitioning or scattered so trust your electronics whenever applicable.