Summer is an excellent time to target big Lake Erie walleyes. With warm weather, a cold beverage in hand, and hungry walleye on the prowl, it's the perfect season for trolling anglers, charter crews, and weekend boaters alike. In this guide, we'll cover early, mid, and late summer walleye fishing tactics — from jet divers and Dipsy Divers to diving plugs, snap weights, and lead core — to help you stay on top of suspended, deep-water fish all summer long.

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Understanding Walleye Behavior in Summer

During the summer, walleye behavior is driven by the migration of baitfish such as emerald shiners and rainbow smelt. Starting in May, walleyes move from their spring haunts toward deeper water in search of high-protein baitfish to recover from the spawn. As the water warms, these baitfish migrate into the deeper waters of the central and eastern basins of Lake Erie — and the walleye follow.

Finding the baitfish is the key to locating the walleyes. Spend time on your electronics looking for bait clouds and suspended marks before you set lines. Once you find fish, use your depth data to choose a delivery system — jet divers, directional divers, snap weights, or lead core — that puts your lures at or slightly above the fish. For dialing in the right speed once you're set up, see our guide to walleye trolling speed control.

Early to Mid-Summer Walleye Tactics

Jet Diver Program

One of the most effective methods for summer walleye fishing is the jet diver. Jet divers are non-directional diving devices from manufacturers like Luhr Jensen Jet Divers, Dreamweaver TripZ, and Tru-Trips. They carry unweighted lures — spoons, shallow crankbaits, and worm harnesses — down to the depth where fish are suspended.

  • Setup: Use braided line for zero stretch, which allows you to "pop" the jet diver whether you're changing a lure or hooking a fish. Attach a 6–8 foot section of fluorocarbon, add a swivel or clip, and then attach your bait and leader.
  • Recommended baits: Small spoons like the Michigan Stinger Scorpion, Silver Streak Mini Spoons, or Dreamweaver WD are excellent choices. Copper-backed spoons in patterns like "Chicken Wing" or "Mass Confusion" are highly effective. Worm harnesses and shallow cranks like Renoskys and Bay Rat Long Shallows also work well.
Summer walleye caught on a Silver Streak Mini Spoon

Directional Divers

You can apply the same program with directional divers like the Luhr Jensen Dipsy Diver or Dreamweaver Deeper Diver. Directional divers reach greater depths with the same types of baits, and they can be set to run out to the side of the boat to spread your lines. New to them? Start with our step-by-step guide on how to use a Dipsy Diver.

  • Add a snubber: A small to medium-sized snubber behind your diver adds stretch to your leader, helping keep the treble hook pinned in the fish's mouth.
  • Upsize your spoons: Running larger spoons like Dreamweaver Super Slims or Michigan Stinger Standard Spoons can be beneficial as the season progresses and fish key on bigger profiles.

For more on when divers earn a spot in your spread, read when to add divers for walleye trolling.

Late Summer Walleye Tactics

Diving Plugs and Planer Boards

Diving plugs are another excellent method for targeting summer walleye. They are known for their loud rattles, flashy colors, and ability to dive quickly to the desired depth. Run them behind planer boards to spread lines away from the boat and cover more water. If you're new to boards, our walleye planer boards 101 guide walks through the basics.

  • Top choices: Bombers and Bandits. These deep-diving plugs are effective all summer long.
  • Snap weights: To reach greater depths, use snap weights. Each ounce of weight adds approximately 5 feet of depth — a 2 oz snap weight takes your lure about 10 feet deeper.
  • Lead core line: Lead core offers a unique action at trolling speeds, undulating with the waves for an erratic presentation. Each color of lead core typically adds about 5 feet of depth. For deep-basin programs, see deep Lake Erie walleye lead core and Dipsy Diver tactics.
Depth Tool Rule of Thumb Example
Snap weight ~5 ft of added depth per ounce 2 oz snap weight ≈ 10 ft deeper
Lead core line ~5 ft of added depth per color 3 colors ≈ 15 ft deeper
Summer walleye caught on a Bomber diving plug

Setup for Diving Plugs

  • Leader: Use a 20 lb test fluorocarbon leader, 30–50 feet long.
  • Backing: Use high-visibility monofilament backing so you can track your line and slide it out to a planer board effectively.

For more on dialing in how far back to run each lure, see our guide to walleye trolling lead length.

Essential Gear for Summer Walleye Fishing

  • Rod and reel: Use a medium-action rod with a baitcaster spooled with 12–17 lb fluorocarbon for jet diver setups. For directional divers and snap weights, a heavy-action rod with a high-speed retrieve reel spooled with 15–20 lb fluorocarbon or 30 lb braid is recommended.
  • Baits: Stock up on small spoons, worm harnesses, shallow crankbaits, and diving plugs. Experiment with different colors and patterns to find what works best on any given day.

Want a full lure lineup? See our picks for the best walleye trolling crankbaits and lures.

FAQs About Summer Walleye Fishing

After the spring spawn, walleye leave their shallow spring areas and move toward deeper water in search of high-protein baitfish such as emerald shiners and rainbow smelt. On Lake Erie, those baitfish migrate into the deeper water of the central and eastern basins as the lake warms, and the walleye follow them. Finding baitfish on your electronics is the fastest way to find summer walleye.

Trolling is the most effective summer walleye method on big water like Lake Erie. Jet divers and directional divers like the Dipsy Diver carry small spoons, worm harnesses, and shallow crankbaits to suspended fish, while deep-diving plugs run behind planer boards with snap weights or lead core line cover water and depth as the season progresses.

Small trolling spoons such as the Michigan Stinger Scorpion, Silver Streak Mini, and Dreamweaver WD are top summer walleye lures, especially copper-backed colors. Worm harnesses and shallow crankbaits work well behind divers, and deep-diving plugs like Bombers and Bandits produce all summer long. Experiment with colors and patterns until the fish tell you what they want that day.

As a rule of thumb, each ounce of snap weight adds roughly 5 feet of depth to a trolled lure. A 2 oz snap weight will take a diving plug about 10 feet deeper than it runs on its own. Actual depth also depends on trolling speed, line diameter, and lead length, so confirm with your electronics or a depth guide.

Each 10-yard color of lead core line typically adds about 5 feet of depth at common walleye trolling speeds. Lead core also gives lures a unique undulating action as the line rises and falls with the waves, which creates an erratic presentation that triggers strikes from summer walleye.

For jet diver setups, use a medium-action rod with a baitcasting or line counter reel spooled with 12 to 17 pound fluorocarbon. For directional divers and snap weights, step up to a heavy-action rod and a high-speed retrieve reel spooled with 15 to 20 pound fluorocarbon or 30 pound braid.

When running diving plugs behind planer boards, use a 20 pound test fluorocarbon leader that is 30 to 50 feet long, connected to high-visibility monofilament backing. The long fluorocarbon leader keeps the lure stealthy, while the high-visibility mono makes it easy to track the line and slide it out to the planer board.

Final Thoughts

Summer walleye fishing on Lake Erie offers a fantastic opportunity to catch big, hungry walleyes. By understanding their behavior and using effective tactics like jet divers, directional divers, snap weights, and lead core line, you can put more fish in the boat from June through September. Visit FishUSA to find all the walleye fishing gear and lures mentioned in this guide. Fill your coolers and get ready for a great summer of walleye fishing!