Photo by Ron Sinfelt.

To say that warm weather can make finding Ohio's walleyes "difficult" is an understatement.

During hot weather, walleyes are not always willing to bite, and July's searing heat can be a real challenge for walleye anglers.

One of the most important keys to beating the summer doldrums is knowing where the concentrations of fish are and focusing your angling efforts there.

Here's a look at the best Buckeye State walleye hotspots, according to Ohio Division of Wildlife fisheries biologists:

LAKE ERIE
You can't talk about walleye fishing in Ohio without Lake Erie coming up. Big fish in big numbers is why. Of all the public fishing waters in Ohio, Lake Erie is the most intensely monitored and accordingly, has the most detailed information about its species of fish.

Every year, ODOW biologists use a variety of methods to determine walleye hatch rates. Armed with this information, they can calculate amazingly accurate estimates of how many walleyes enter the fishery each year.

Rates vary from year to year, of course. But here's how it has all fallen together for Ohio anglers.

The 2003 hatch was pivotal for today's walleye fishery. Most of the keeper walleyes out there will come from this hatch because they're now averaging 21 inches plus.

Since that year, the only decent hatch took place in 2005. This year, these fish will be barely legal, and their numbers comparatively low.

Aside from the 2003 hatch, most of the walleyes left in the fishery will be from the better hatches in '93, '94, '96 and '99. These fish will be bruisers and most will easily pass the Fish Ohio minimum.

In a nutshell, walleye anglers can expect the average walleye caught this year to measure in the 25- to 29-inch range. Anglers should also catch many more than the usual numbers of really big walleyes. Last year, in fact, many local anglers reported catching more 30-inch-plus walleyes than they had in the previous several years combined.

If Lake Erie's walleyes are your fish of choice, it's important that you know where to go. This Great Lake is a pretty big one, after all!

Good fishing depends on the weather. If the July temperatures stay moderate, the eyes' traditional hangouts around the western reefs and islands will continue to hold fish in good numbers. These proven haunts will always hold some walleyes. However, if the weather heats up and lake temperatures start rising, then get ready to move.

In July, anglers will find many schools of walleyes around the sandbar off Beaver Creek or Lorain, which lies a bit offshore. Other schools of fish will be scattered all along the coast from Huron to Avon, usually one to three miles offshore.

If you're not finding fish, then do as the fish do and move east toward deeper, cooler waters. During really hot years when lake temperatures are high, anglers will need to travel even farther east, toward Fairport or even the Pennsylvania border.

Travis Hartman is a fisheries biologist for the ODOW's Sandusky fish research unit. He illustrated how far and fast walleyes will migrate to the eastern basin in hot years: A female walleye caught and tagged in Fremont during spring 2006 was caught in New York State just one month later!