Best Walleye Lures for Trolling Lake Erie
The best walleye lures for trolling Lake Erie are trolling spoons, crawler harnesses, and crankbaits. Spoons shine when walleye are suspended and active in open water, because you can troll them fast and cover a lot of water. Harnesses win when the fish are sluggish, and crankbaits fill the gap in between. Most Erie boats run a mix and let the fish decide.
Here's how each one fits, and how to get the most out of spoons, from our home water in Port Dover.
Why trolling works so well on Lake Erie
Through the summer, a lot of Lake Erie walleye roam open water and suspend off the bottom, following schools of baitfish. They can be spread across miles of water and at different depths from one day to the next. Trolling lets you spread several lines at different depths and keep moving until you find them, which is why it's the go-to method for open-water walleye on Erie.
The three lures that catch the most Erie walleye
Trolling spoons
Spoons are thin, curved pieces of metal that wobble and flash as they're pulled through the water. That erratic flutter looks like a wounded baitfish, and the flash calls fish in from a distance. Spoons can be trolled faster than most other walleye presentations, so they're the best tool for covering water and picking off active, suspended fish.
Crawler harnesses
A crawler harness is a nightcrawler on a short rig with spinner blades in front. It's trolled slowly, usually behind a bottom bouncer or an inline weight. Because it's slow and uses live bait, a harness is a strong choice when walleye are less aggressive or holding tight to the bottom.
Crankbaits and stickbaits
Crankbaits and stickbaits are hard-bodied lures with a lip that makes them dive and wiggle. You control their depth mainly with how much line you let out. They sit between spoons and harnesses in speed and work well for covering water at a set depth.
When should you run spoons for walleye?
When walleye are suspended in open water and actively chasing bait.
When you need to cover a lot of water to find fish.
When you want to troll faster than harness speeds without losing action.
When the bite is on but slower presentations aren't getting hit.
What speed should you troll spoons for walleye?
Most anglers troll spoons for walleye around 1.8–3.0 mph. Watch the spoon beside the boat before you set it: you want a steady, erratic wobble without the spoon spinning. If it spins, slow down. If it looks lazy, speed up until the action looks right. Current and wind change your true speed through the water, so adjust as conditions change.
What colour spoon works best for walleye?
On sunny days and in clear water, run bright colours. On overcast days, switch to darker colours. Glow spoons stand out at depth, early in the morning, on cloudy days, and in dirty water. If the bite is slow, keep changing colours until one starts producing, and then put more lines on that colour.
How to rig a spoon for walleye trolling
Always use a quality ball-bearing snap swivel. Never tie a spoon directly to your line, because it will twist your line.
Pick a way to get the spoon down to the fish: a planer board, dipsy diver, downrigger, snap weight, or lead core line.
Spread your lines across different depths and sides of the boat until you find where the fish are holding.
Check the spoon's action at the side of the boat before letting it back, and check it again whenever you change speed.
Choosing a King Crusher spoon for walleye
King Crusher spoons come in three sizes. Our small and medium spoons are built for walleye and trout, and the MAG is our salmon spoon. Every spoon is hand-painted, finished with an industry-leading clear coat so the colour holds up season after season, and rigged with razor-sharp hooks.
We offer hex, nickel, and copper backings. Hex scatters light in every direction, nickel gives the brightest flash in clear water and sun, and copper gives a warmer flash that many anglers like in stained water and low light. Every colour is designed and tested on the Great Lakes out of Port Dover, Ontario, before it hits the store.
Shop King Crusher Walleye Spoons, or check our FAQ for more on sizes, finishes, and rigging.
Great article and tips! Thanks!