Quick synopsis of Lake Erie walleye migrations / populations.

There are multiple populations of walleye in the Lake. A small portion are river spawners, primarily the Maumee and Sandusky rivers. Another population spawns on the main reef complex off Camp Perry. Part of this population also spawns on the other cobble / gravel shoals and reefs around the Islands. A third population spawns along the shoreline from Sandusky to probably as far east as Cleveland. Fisheries biologists are finding out more and more of how these populations move and interact. It's a complicated issue, as a few fish from as far away as (I think) Lake St. Clair and the eastern Basin are river spawners. Same for the Western Basin spawning grounds, some fish come from all around the Lake. Walleye spawning in Maumee Bay has been documented in recent years.

One thing to remember is the Islands / Camp Perry reefs area of the Western Basin is really a relatively small area. Think of how far you can walk in a few hours. A walleye swimming at a slow to moderate pace can swim from the Camp Perry reefs to east of Kelleys Island in half a day. Fish can move a pretty long distance in one day. With all the walleye in the Lake, and the large number in the Western Basin during the spring and early summer, there are going to be walleye all over this area. They will move as conditions change - water temperature, clarity, oxygen level, prey availability and type, etc. It's not like the fish all move from point A to point B in one mass, all at the same time. Schools of fish are constantly moving. It all comes down to the same 'ole thing. First, find some walleye. Then determine if they are actively feeding. Then figure out how to catch them. There are almost always fish around the majority of the traditions areas. It's just a matter of how many on any given day, and if they are actively feeding. Patterns may change years to year as Lake conditions are different each year. Water levels, weather, currents, prey fish, etc. are never exactly the same year to year.