I certainly am not an expert, but I don't think stained or even fairly muddy water is a killer for catching walleye. Walleye are caught in the Maumee and Sandusky rivers during the spring spawning run and that water visibility is often 2 or 3 inches, 5 or 6 max, chocolate milk. I'd love to hear some comments on this from the experienced walleye fisherman. Just how much does water clarity typically effect walleye fishing? I know I've caught walleye over the years in Lake Erie in water clarity from crystal clear to severely 'stained'. I know you avoid the real muddy waters, but just how low can the visibility go before it ruins the walleye fishing?

There are also times when the surface is pretty clear but the bottom is murky. I've seen this scuba diving in the Lake. We'd dive a spot because the surface showed 6-8 feet of visibility and when we got down to the bottom 6 or 8 feet the visibility was 2-3 feet. I've even seen the opposite (though rarely). So I know there are times when fisherman think the visibility is pretty good judging by the surface but the depth they are catching walleye at is much more murky or 'stained'.