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Best walleye lures: jigs, crankbaits, harnesses and blade baits
The best walleye lures and the best bait for walleye by season: jig and minnow, crankbaits, crawler harnesses, blade baits, colors and low-light timing by moon.
The best walleye lures all have one thing in common: they put something that looks like food right in front of a fish that would rather not chase it. Walleye are bottom-oriented, low-light predators, so the lures that catch the most fish are jigs, crankbaits, crawler harnesses and blade baits, fished at the right depth and the right speed.
This guide explains each lure, when to use it, the best bait for walleye and how timing, light and the moon change the game. For general walleye patterns, read our walleye fishing tips, and if you're just getting started with fishing, see how to fish.
Why walleye are different: those eyes
Walleye eyes contain a reflective layer called the tapetum lucidum, which helps them see in dim light. That's why walleye feed best at dusk, at night, under clouds, in wind-chopped or stained water. It's also why lure choice changes with light: bright, flashy lures in murky water, natural profiles in clear water, and noise or vibration at night.
The best walleye lures at a glance
| Lure | Best season | Depth | How to fish it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jig and minnow | Spring, fall, cold water | 5–30 ft | Hop or drag slowly along bottom |
| Jig and plastic | Spring through fall | 5–30 ft | Swim or hop; paddle tails and ringworms |
| Crankbaits / stickbaits | Summer, fall, night | Shallow to 30 ft (trolled) | Cast or troll; shallow runners at night |
| Crawler harness | Summer | 10–35 ft | Behind a bottom bouncer, trolled slowly |
| Blade bait | Late fall, winter, early spring | 10–40 ft | Lift and drop vertically |
| Jigging spoon / jigging rap | Winter, ice | 10–40 ft | Snap and pause |
| Slip bobber and leech | Summer | Over rock humps | Set just above bottom |
Jigs: the number one walleye lure
If you only own one walleye lure, make it a jig.
- Weight: use the lightest jig that keeps contact with bottom. A rough start is 1/8 oz in up to 10 ft, 1/4 oz in 10–20 ft, 3/8 oz or more in deeper water or current.
- Jig and minnow: hook a fathead or shiner through the lips, bottom to top. Classic in spring on rivers and in cold water.
- Jig and plastic: 3–4 in paddle tails, ringworms and grubs. Faster to fish than live bait and great for covering water.
- Retrieve: lift-drop, or slow drag with occasional pauses. Most bites come on the fall. Watch your line.
Crankbaits and stickbaits
Crankbaits catch big walleye, especially when trolled.
- Night trolling: shallow-running stickbaits along rocky shorelines and over flats in fall are a classic trophy tactic.
- Summer trolling: deeper divers or lead core and snap weights to reach suspended walleye over open water, a staple on Lake Erie.
- Casting: shad-style cranks over rock and weed edges at dusk.
Match the dive depth to where the fish are, and let the lure tick the bottom or run just above the fish.
Crawler harnesses and bottom bouncers
The crawler harness (spinner rig) is the summer workhorse. A spinner blade and beads ahead of two or three hooks, with a nightcrawler stretched straight. Run it behind a bottom bouncer at roughly 0.8–1.5 mph. The blade adds flash and vibration; the worm adds scent. Leeches and minnows work on harnesses too. For hooking tips, see fishing with worms.
Blade baits and cold-water lures
Blade baits are thin, weighted metal lures that vibrate hard when lifted. In cold water (below about 50°F / 10°C), lift 1–2 ft, let it fall on a semi-slack line, and repeat. Rivers like the Mississippi, Detroit and Illinois see heavy blade-bait use in late fall and early spring. Jigging spoons and swimming jigging lures fill the same role, and they're the core of ice fishing for walleye. See ice fishing tips.
Best bait for walleye
If you prefer live bait, the three classics are:
- Minnows (fatheads, shiners): spring and fall, on jigs or slip bobbers.
- Nightcrawlers: summer, on harnesses and bottom rigs.
- Leeches: summer, under slip bobbers over rock, a Minnesota and Wisconsin favorite.
Some states restrict live bait species or moving bait between waters. Check your state regulations.
Colors: clarity and light
- Clear water, bright days: natural colors (perch, shiner, silver, black and silver).
- Stained water: chartreuse, orange, firetiger, gold.
- Low light and night: dark silhouettes, glow, or bright colors with rattles.
Regional notes for US walleye anglers
- Great Lakes: Lake Erie's western basin is famous for spring jigging and summer trolling for suspended walleye. Saginaw Bay and Green Bay are also strong fisheries.
- Upper Midwest: Mille Lacs, Lake of the Woods, Leech Lake and Devils Lake (North Dakota) are known for jigs, leeches and slip bobbers in summer and ice fishing in winter.
- Rivers: the Mississippi, Missouri, Detroit and Columbia rivers hold walleye; jigs and blade baits in current.
- Missouri River reservoirs: Lake Sakakawea, Lake Oahe and others in the Dakotas reward crawler harnesses in summer.
- Rockies and West: walleye in some Colorado, Wyoming and Columbia River waters.
Many states have special walleye seasons, slot limits or spawning closures. Always check regulations before you go.
When to fish: low light, moon and solunar periods
- Dusk into dark: the most consistent window. Walleye move up onto flats and points to feed. More in fishing at night.
- Dawn: strong but short.
- Walleye chop and clouds: wind and overcast extend the low-light bite into the day.
- Pressure: stable weather is better than a bluebird day after a cold front. Downsize and slow down when pressure spikes. See barometric pressure and fishing.
- Moon: many big-lake anglers like full moon nights for trolling, when bright moonlight helps walleye hunt in open water. On new-moon nights, fish tend to hold tighter to structure.
- Solunar periods: a major or minor window that lines up with dusk, or moonrise near sunset, is a combination many walleye anglers watch for.
Using the Solunar app
Solunar: Hunt & Fish shows sunrise, sunset, moonrise, moonset, moon phase and the day's major and minor periods on a 24-hour dial with a 1–4 star day rating. It all works offline from your location, which matters on big water with no signal.
FAQ
What is the best all-around walleye lure?
A jig, either tipped with a minnow or rigged with a soft plastic. It works in nearly every season and depth.
What is the best bait for walleye?
Minnows in spring and fall, nightcrawlers and leeches in summer.
What color lures do walleye like?
Natural colors in clear water, chartreuse, orange and gold in stained water, and dark or glow colors at night.
Do walleye bite better on a full moon?
Many anglers on big lakes report good night trolling around the full moon, but dusk is the most consistent time regardless of phase.