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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.
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.
| 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 |
If you only own one walleye lure, make it a jig.
Crankbaits catch big walleye, especially when trolled.
Match the dive depth to where the fish are, and let the lure tick the bottom or run just above the fish.
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 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.
If you prefer live bait, the three classics are:
Some states restrict live bait species or moving bait between waters. Check your state regulations.
Many states have special walleye seasons, slot limits or spawning closures. Always check regulations before you go.
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.
A jig, either tipped with a minnow or rigged with a soft plastic. It works in nearly every season and depth.
Minnows in spring and fall, nightcrawlers and leeches in summer.
Natural colors in clear water, chartreuse, orange and gold in stained water, and dark or glow colors at night.
Many anglers on big lakes report good night trolling around the full moon, but dusk is the most consistent time regardless of phase.