I was wondering how the warm spring should change fishing opener strategy.

I'm assuming that the walleye spawn will be oven and the moving water will be filled with suckers eating the eggs.

I assume that the trout will be a bit deeper than usual.

Are those assumptions correct?
What general strategies should I employ?

Mad_Angler: "I was wondering how the warm spring should change fishing opener strategy.

I'm assuming that the walleye spawn will be oven and the moving water will be filled with suckers eating the eggs.

I assume that the trout will be a bit deeper than usual.

Are those assumptions correct?
What general strategies should I employ?"

Yes the walleye spawn should be over, AND yes them suckers will be slurping down some spawn along with whitefish but they will sit out from the flowage. If surface temps are still under 52* i think for opener lakers should still shallow. but will change soon.
i think the opener will great for the Grandslam !

My assumption is it won’t be much different. Winter was warmer than normal for sure, but the spring has been all over the place.

For example, I am fishing a lake in southern Iowa this week. Same time of year as last year, the lake never even froze over and the water temps are almost 10 degrees cooler than last year…

T

timatkn: "My assumption is it won’t be much different. Winter was warmer than normal for sure, but the spring has been all over the place.


For example, I am fishing a lake in southern Iowa this week. Same time of year as last year, the lake never even froze over and the water temps are almost 10 degrees cooler than last year…


T"

For walleyes the main thing is spawning has been done for a few weeks already. Usually, Memorial weekend for walleyes is much better than opener.

What will the smallmouth bass spawn look like this year? Any idea on timing?

KungPowKing: "What will the smallmouth bass spawn look like this year? Any idea on timing?"

It shifts into high gear when water temps hit 60 degrees.

We're going fishing the second week of June and am unfamiliar with spawning cycles. We are targeting the big four but would like some advice on which species will be more active at this time. Any help is appreciated.

KungPowKing: "We're going fishing the second week of June and am unfamiliar with spawning cycles. We are targeting the big four but would like some advice on which species will be more active at this time. Any help is appreciated."

smallmouth bass should be real active, early spring and if water warms up lake trout will be going deeper. Still morning and evening should be able to get lake trout at 15 feet unless surface temps already hit 70.
Walleye fishing should be excellent.

We are going the first week of June (6/2-6/8) any concern about how the weather will affect the fishing?

For reference we are going to Quetico through Prairie Portage then going Basswood->S chains->Agnes.