Where to Find Columbia River Walleye

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One of the most important factors in locating any fish is understanding the habitat they associate with. Using an underwater camera I surveyed a mile long stretch of the upper Columbia River for Walleye. Using this video I determined which habitats Walleye most greatly associate with.
Underwater camera featured in this video:
- Marcum Pursuit HD: amzn.to/3U4JsHK
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[@chrisjudd00]

One of my favorite videos you've ever put out! I'm totally fascinated with Walleye behavior. Thanks Tyler!

[@saltywalrusfishingcompany]

Another great video! I have noticed similar here in Wisconsin on our river systems based on catch rate. Smaller lakes, under 1000 acres are a whole different animal... we have many that are put and take fisheries. One thing I've learned on those is springtime action is way shallower than most would even try for walleye! May and early June the walleye, especially big fish, will be in 3 or less feet of water anywhere you can find new green weed growth. As we don't lose all ice until late April it's often only 1 shallow bay on an entire lake that has any new weed growth, really seems to concentrate the big walleye! Again thanks for the great content!!

[@wreck96]

Not in my cooler, that’s for sure

[@craigambroson2482]

Wow! What a great topic and analysis. Thanks again for your informative content.

[@Andy-uj2gy]

Great information , thank you for sharing your knowledge with others! There’s so many different types of people in this world some that have a wealth of knowledge and want to help strengthen one another, your advice and full disclosure speaks volume of your character. Thank you! god bless!

[@TimTorell]

Thanks, very informative

[@sov19871987]

Wow, really appreciate your effort and sharing with us.

[@RyanB-gi2fj]

Awesome video. I wonder if other species follow the same pattern, like Goldeye for example. Seems like I encounter those two species in different locations on our river system, but rarely see either in very rocky areas.

[@GusWest]

Great information. Thanks Tyler!

[@cristiandan1082]

Such a great and informative video. THANK YOU!

[@boba-mg5md]

That was such a cool video, my buddy years ago did alot of videos and we have seen monster walleye on sand flats south of seven bays

[@colbysteffenhagen1703]

Fantastic content, thanks for sharing!

[@jerryberg6244]

Very cool. Good work and thanks again for sharing solid helpful Intel.

[@ronreitz2399]

Incredible information, as usual, Tyler I use an Aqua vu and have had similar results in the Bays of Lake Michigan in Traverse City, Michigan, with Smallmouth bass.

[@ChrisKingAngling]

Great video Tyler! I've been wanting to do the same thing on the Columbia River here in Castlegar, BC but the Thalweg where the walleye are staging right now is 61 feet deep and my camera only has 50 feet of cable.

[@chadrobinson3504]

Absolutely fascinating! Thanks for sharing this.

[@marke219]

You have good channel

[@ninjakiller07]

clear water..nice clean.

[@troytwibell6876]

It looks like you filmed this in a river basin where cobble/sand distribution is correlated to streamflow. Do you think they are optimizing topographical variation or streamflow? The size uniformity leads me more towards streamflow but I live on the west side so I tend to think in terms of trout/salmon and MUCH smaller rivers. Either way I love the content Tyler!

[@jimknowles5483]

I absolutely love your channel! Learn so much, thank you for all your great work! Would enjoy hearing your Camara results for smallmouth. I see some of these Camara's with longer lines and motorized drivable abilities. If you could up grade.....which would you choose? Thanks just jim

[@spiltmilt]

This Aqua-Vu Quad HD looks amazing but not thrilled with that price tag. www.aquavu.com/Aqua-Vu-Quad-HD

[@reapergrim76]

Super cool! 👌

[@jesseconrad7405]

I just found your youtube channel and really like your content! I live in Vancouver, Wa and have been wanting to try for walleye in the lower Columbia. Have you ever tried fishing for them this far down the river? Just an idea but it would be great to see someone put out a video of catching walleye near Portland, maybe even on the Wallamette...

[@spiltmilt]

Yes I've caught them many times in the Multnomah Channel.

[@everstraight3623]

Very useful information. 🎉Do you know if walleye in the lake behaves the same?

[@spiltmilt]

I haven't done a ton of camera work on lakes, as Walleye mostly occupy river systems where I live, but I generally find them on similar substrates in lakes here.

[@rjduresky]

First, great, great video. I had a crappy underwater camera once upon a time, and my son and I loved it. I need to pull the trigger on a new one. Also, is there a way my depth finder can tell me when I'm in the kind of bottom I'm over. I can figure out mud and gravel with the bottom bouncers, but this is something a little different.

[@MCigarz]

Great Video. I would love to know what effect, if any the lower light times of day would have?

[@bpm2k]

Great content per usual. I went out to the Rufus area last year after reviewing many of your videos and wasn't able to hook up. I did get snagged on a few spots so must have been in the cobble instead of the sand - would love to know what this type of favorable bottom looks like on the sonar (just flat bottom with the occasional bump/rock?). Also, I was getting relentlessly pecked by some small fish down there but I don't see any on your video here - were they sculpin or something and is the their presence an indication I'm in the wrong spot?

[@spiltmilt]

I get very little differentiation on my sonar between sand and cobble bottom but the down imaging shows it fairly well.

[@daveengstrom9250]

On a fish finder, does sand appear as a hard bottom? Or soft bottom? Bouncing a sound wave may be different than walking on soft sand as each particle of sand is of course hard.

[@spiltmilt]

Sand generally shows as a soft bottom

[@RiverBirzer]

How do you think this would apply in a Reservoir where my options are mudflat, eroding basalt slopes, coble river channel or a mix?

[@spiltmilt]

I'd start at the historic river and work any areas where that habitat intersect flats. They seemed to really like habitat boundaries.

[@RiverBirzer]

@@spiltmiltI'm glad i will have some washed river channel to fish, the transition between washed river channel and mud ( the lakes winter pool ) is currently under 28ft of water in Lookout Point Reservoir but will be closer to 50ft in 10 days when I get out there. Looking forward to bringing my camera duct tapped to a downrigger ball.

[@bent_life9865]

With your camera experience what camera would you recommend for stained water and or night fishing in non-frozen situations?

[@spiltmilt]

No camera excels in stained water. If night fishing is your priority just find one with the most infrared LED's but the distance you can see at night isn't great.

[@pmm422]

Excellent work I always enjoy more scientific content. Fishing has so much wow woo and confirmation bias mixed in with marketing its painful to tease out the truth of a matter.

[@Thinkingaboutfishing]

Bro I’ve been fishing around Irrigon and umatilla trying everything jigs, blades, walkers, 10 feet-90feet of water not even a bite! Idk what I’m doing wrong I’ve gone out 4 or 5 times in my boat, it has garmin electronics I never seen fish on the screen

[@gbussoutdoors]

I am going to guess the predominantly sand flats were the more shallow area's were the walleye were feeding actively. The sand and cobblestone were a bit deeper correct. Also did you manage to note the water Temps in each area?

[@spiltmilt]

Actually the sand flats were predominately in the 40 to 50' range similar to the scattered cobble. Water temp was uniform since this is tailwater

[@sov19871987]

Have you seen good amount of whitefish on the Columbia? I know banks lake has good amount, but i know Columbia got some large ones. I would like to target them on the Columbia.

[@spiltmilt]

Yes they are numerous from Chelan Falls on up stream. I have not checked further downstream. I do fairly well jigging for them and Walleye using Great Lakes style "iron" or jigging spoons. kzbin.info/www/bejne/r4GknXR3f7WpkNE

[@sov19871987]

​@@spiltmiltthank you for replying