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Walleye opener looking good for anglers

ESCANABA — Michigan’s walleye season is set to open today. According to Fisheries Biologist for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Escanaba Customer Service Center Darren Kramer, recent weather conditions have had an impact on walleye behavior in the area.

“It’s been a fairly cold spring so far, so walleyes were spawning later than normal due to the long winter,” he said.

People planning to go fishing soon should be able to take this into account.

“Anglers could expect fish to be closer to their spawning areas than they would be normally,” Kramer said.

Kramer noted this will likely be a positive thing for anglers, as it will allow them to effectively target specific areas when fishing. This would not be the case if the area had experienced warmer weather in early spring. “Walleyes would already be dispersed and into deeper water,” he said.

Additionally, Kramer offered a look at how walleye populations are doing across Michigan.

“Statewide, all of our populations are in a pretty healthy state,” he said. However, he noted this varies from area to area.

The DNR has resources for anglers looking for more detailed information, as well.

“We do have a weekly fisheries report,” Kramer said. The report can be found in the Daily Press on Fridays or online at michigan.gov/dnr.

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