Ohio Walleye Run is a Popular Fishing Event

Anglers Flock to the Toledo Area for Spring Spawn in Maumee River

Apr 4, 2009

Every spring thousands of anglers from across the U.S. and even abroad come to Northwestern Ohio for the annual walleye fishing run in the Maumee River near Toledo.

Walleye are a close relative of yellow perch, another popular game fish, harvested by Native Americans and later European settlers in Ohio and the Lake Erie basin, according to the Ohio Historical Society. Found in Lake Erie and major tributary rivers like the Maumee River in Northwestern Ohio, millions of walleye migrate from the lake up the rivers to spawn from early March through mid-April.

Anglers can reap a rich harvest. On average a mature female walleye ranges from 20 to 28 inches long, and 3 to 8 lb. Males are smaller, 15 to 16 inches long and 1 to 6 lb. The biggest walleye caught on record in Ohio occurred in 1999 in Lake Erie, where a walleye weighing just over 16 lb and some 33 inches long was caught, according to the Library of Congress American Folklife Center.

From the Maumee River alone, in Northwestern Ohio, anglers take approximately 50,000 walleye and 35,000 white bass from the river annually. A large spawning area located near the cities of Perrysburg and Maumee attracts approximately 6,000 anglers during the spring walleye run, according to the American Folklife Center.

Fishing Laws Enforced with Costly Fines

Catch limit laws are strictly enforced by Ohio Department of Natural Resource's Wildlife Officers, including undercover rangers on duty looking for violators during the walleye run. Penalties are costly. In 2008 seven Wisconsin men paid over $4,600 in fines and, and two spent several days in jail, for exceeding the legal limit during the annual walleye run. The ODNR in a public statement in the summer of 2008 said officers caught the anglers "double tripping," catching their daily limit multiple times in a 24-hour period. Fines included $50 for each of the 67 walleye the anglers poached.

Places to Stay and Other Services

Campgrounds, motels and other lodging abounds in the Maumee River area. Nicer hotels can be found in or near the cities of Toledo, Sandusky, and Cleveland. Many parts of the Maumee River are shallow enough for hipwaders. Other sections require a small marine craft. Boat launches and fishing access points are located on both sides of a roughly 25-mile section of the river near the communities of Grand Rapids, Waterville, Maumee, Perrysburg, Rossford and Toledo. Tackle and bait can purchased from jig vendors set up at many of the points.

If river fishing isn't of interest, large boat charters are offered for Lake Erie walleye fishing, with numerous companies offering day-long excursions leaving from Cleveland and Toledo. Either by river or lake charter, fishing the annual walleye run is an event every angler should experience.

The copyright of the article Ohio Walleye Run is a Popular Fishing Event in Freshwater Fishing is owned by Christopher Miller. Permission to republish Ohio Walleye Run is a Popular Fishing Event in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.