Photo by Ron Sinfelt

In the course of my search for the year's best walleye fishing hotspots in the Great Plains, I've had the opportunity to talk to some of the most informative and pleasant people in the region's four states. Highly knowledgeable about this part of the country's various lakes, they wanted nothing more than to help put a few more people on the water this season.

The following, I think, will do just that. Does the Great Plains' walleye fishing rank with the best in the country? Just ask the people who know the area best.

NEBRASKA
"I've been saying this for I don't know how many years now," said Daryl Bauer of the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. "Lake McConaughy is once again going to be one of Nebraska's best walleye fisheries. (It)'s going to be good despite low water levels."

Behind Merritt, McConaughy has one of the highest concentrations of big walleyes in the state, and had the largest population of walleyes above 25 inches surveyed during the fall of 2006.

With a forage base of alewives and shad, this lake with more than 100 miles of shoreline has what shapes Nebraska's best walleye fisheries: big water. And McConaughy has flourished under a stocking program that the NGPC has conducted for years.

However, this long-celebrated hotspot isn't Nebraska's only walleye haven. At the top of the 2006 sampling data for both numbers of walleyes and walleyes between 20 and 25 inches is Merritt Reservoir. Plus, the lake has something going for it that many lakes in the region can't brag about: Despite how far it's pulled down during extreme drought, Merritt fills up with water every year.

"It's got something to do with stability," offered Bauer. "Each year you know what to expect at Merritt."

Make an effort to adapt to the lake when you're fishing it. A higher alewife population will push the fish in different directions. Be ready to change patterns when your usual strategies aren't working.

KANSAS
As far as things that are usual go, walleye fishing at Cedar Bluff Reservoir provides a couple of consistent clues to knowing when to fish the lake: When crappie numbers are low, walleye numbers are high -- and big walleyes love little crappie, while big crappie love little walleyes. Another thing to know: Cedar Bluff's rating for trophy fish is one of the highest in Kansas. Big fish can be found in nearly all the coves on the lake. (Continued)

"Church Camp Cove is one of those coves," said Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks biologist Lynn Davignon. "Fish the secondary points in this cove from 4 to 12 feet of water."

Anglers also can find fish in the largest cove on the lake, Page Cove. At its mouth there is 30 feet of water, and its structure opportunities are quite diverse. Old Page Creek channel runs through it, giving a deep-water option, along with the timberlines on each side of the creek channel.