Hey fellow fisherman! This is my review of the best Walleye rods!
I spent a week at Dale Hallow Lake in Tennessee, testing 12 of the most popular Walleye fishing rods. Then I ranked them based on action, power, length, sensitivity, and affordability while using the three main techniques for Walleye fishing.
These are by far the best-performing rods out of the group.
You can spend less than a hundred dollars to get a top Walleye rod. Choose one of these rods, and you’ll get a reliable, long-lasting, and high-performing rod guaranteed to help you catch more fish and have a blast.
Ready to catch more Walleye?
Let’s do it!
Best Overall  | Runner Up  | Budget Jigging Rod  | Budget Casting Rod  | Budget Trolling Rod  |
5.0 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
$249.99 | $131.63 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
5 Best Rods For Walleye Fishing
- St. Croix Avid Walleye Spinning Rod – (Best Walleye Rod Overall)
- Temple Fork Outfitters (TFO) Professional Walleye Spinning Rod – (Runner Up)
- Fenwick Elite Tech Walleye Series – (Budget Pick For Best Walleye Jigging Rod)
- Tica TACTICA XP Bass & Walleye Casting Rod – (Budget Pick For Best Walleye Rigging Rod)
- OKUMA Deadeye Telescopic Trolling Rod – (Budget Pick For Best Walleye Trolling Rod)
Best Walleye Rods Reviewed
All the fishing rods on this list are specifically designed for Walleye fishing and are made with the highest quality components.
St. Croix Avid Walleye Spinning Rod – Best Walleye Rod Overall
The AVID Walleye is more than just a fishing rod. It is an over-engineered work of art that is more comfortable, durable, lightweight, and sensitive than the previous AVID series.
- Price: $$$$
- Blank Material: Carbon Fiber
- Handle Material: Cork
- Length: 5’8″ – 8’0″
- Power: Light – Heavy
- Action: Moderate – Extra-fast
- Warranty: 15 Years
Why Buy The St. Croix Avid Walleye Spinning Rod?
- Most over-engineered Walleye rod on the planet
- Technique-specific designs for jigging, live rigging, and trolling
- Proprietary technology for longer casts
- Contoured handle and grip for superior comfort
- The evolution of the already famous AVID series from St. Croix
- Backed by a 15-year warranty
Introducing the most advanced, farthest casting, and most comfortable rod for Walleye fishing: The St. Croix Avid Walleye Rod.
The AVID Walleye is more than just a fishing rod. It is an over-engineered work of art that is more comfortable, durable, lightweight, and sensitive than the previous AVID series. It has more technology, more comfortable handles, and a longer warranty than most other rods.
What sets St. Croix apart from the competition is its proprietary technology for all of its rods. The four unique technologies that St. Croix deploys in this AVID series is FRS (fortified resin system), ART (advanced reinforcing technology), IPC (integrated poly curve), and TET (taper enhancement technology).
How does this help you catch more fish?
I’m glad you asked.
For you, that means you can troll to find where the Walleye are feeding, then drop live bait off one side of your vessel and actively jig on the other, giving you the best chance to land that Walleye your friends have been chasing for years. And this is all with one rod, backed by a 15-year warranty, handcrafted in the US.
No other Walleye rod comes even close to this kind of versatility.
I fished with the 7’6″ model for about 4 hours, with an extra fast tip, med-light rod in a lake I have never fished before.
In these situations, I often start trolling to test if I can get any hint as to where the fish are feeding while keeping an eye on my machine for any kind of features underwater. Once I found a bite, I immediately dropped bait with a slip bobber rig to any fish I could see on my screen. After four hours, I knew finding a better Walleye rod than the St. Croix AVID Walleye would be challenging.
What You’ll Love About The St. Croix AVID Walleye Rod
- Fish all day with one rod: the new St. Croix AVID series is versatile enough to use for any fishing technique because of how well-built and over-engineered it is. If you don’t want to invest in three different rods for three different styles: get the 7’6″ AVID Walleye.
- Fish all day without pain: the ergonomic handles plus the split grip design were explicitly made for the Walleye angler who puts in the long days. These features will help you fish longer without feeling it in your hand and wrist.
- Fish all day with confidence: St. Croix is one of the best fishing rod makers, and their rods carry a 15-year warranty. If anything goes wrong with your AVID Walleye Rod, contact US-based customer service, and you’ll be back on the water in no time.
What You Won’t Love About The St. Croix AVID Walleye
- It’s not cheap: coming in at over $200, this rod is the most expensive on our list. If you’re an avid Walleye angler, then it’s a no-brainer. If you don’t plan to fish hard, it may not be worth it.
If you’re looking for the most versatile, comfortable, and advanced Walleye rod, the St. Croix AVID Walleye is it. It was produced with more technology, advanced features, and a better warranty than the other rods I fished with.
If you want to save money, keep reading. If you’re going to catch more fish and have a blast while doing it, get the AVID Walleye.
Temple Fork Outfitters (TFO) Professional Walleye Spinning Rod – Runner Up
I love that TFO optimizes its rods to find the perfect balance between performance and price by building them solidly but with premium features that give you the best bang for your buck.
- Price: $$$
- Blank Material: Carbon Fiber
- Handle Material: Cork
- Length: 6’6″ – 7’6″
- Power: Light – Medium
- Action: Moderate to Fast
- Warranty: Lifetime Warranty
Why Buy the TFO Professional Walleye Spinning Rod?
- About half the price of the St. Croix AVID Walleye
- Designed to last forever without paying a premium price
- Lifetime Warranty
- Comparable sensitivity to the St. Croix
- Specific lengths, actions, and power for all Walleye fishing techniques
Next is Temple Fork Outfitters (TFO) answer to the St. Croix AVID series. It’s pretty close to the St. Croix in terms of engineering quality, but it’s $100 less, plus you get a lifetime warranty against any manufacturer defects.
You don’t have to worry about finding the perfect rod for your go-to Walleye technique. TFO introduced rods made for trolling in 2021 to add to their collection of jigging and live rigging rods they already had in this lineup.
Like the St. Croix, it has a split grip, sensitive tips for jigging, and technique-specific models. The critical difference is the St. Croix AVID Walleye is more advanced.
St. Croix’s technology and innovation are bar none for Walleye fishing rods.
However, the TFO spinning rods are an excellent alternative. I love that TFO optimizes its rods to find the perfect balance between performance and price by building them solidly but with premium features that give you the best bang for your buck.
With rods made for every Walleye fishing technique, make sure you pick the suitable model for your style of fishing.
For jigging, the fast action, superior sensitivity, and lightweight that is required for Walleye jigging, go with the WS663-1 or WS 664-1.
For rods that need the length to stand up to seeing hookset while live rigging, go with 7’0″ or 7’6″ with moderately fast action and medium power.
TFO added trolling rods to the Professional Walleye series in 2021 that are made up of 8’6″ and 10′ options that are best when trolling for Walleye.
What You’ll Love About The TFO Professional Walleye Spinning Rods
- Optimized for specific techniques: Each of TFO’s Walleye rods is engineered with a certain length, power, and action specific to your fishing style. That means you get the extra advantage of fishing with a rod made to catch Walleye in whichever particular way you decide to fish.
- Superior sensitivity: don’t second guess yourself anymore. With the TFO Professional Walleye rods, you get the best of both worlds. You can feel subtle bites while maintaining that extra sensitivity under heavier conditions when a powerful rod is required.
- Lifetime warranty: take advantage of TFO’s incredible lifetime warranty against manufacturer defects to give you peace of mind and confidence in your purchase.
- Put $100 back in your pocket: it does almost everything that the St. Croix AVID series does, just for $100 less.
What You Won’t Love About The TFO Professional Walleye Spinning Rods
- Solid but not premium: overall, the technology and premium components St. Croix uses are better. More innovation and craftsmanship go into the St. Croix rods, hence why I rank the TFO Walleye spinning rod as the value pick and runner-up to my top choice.
- Lacks a significant backbone: I noticed the backbone on the TFO was not nearly as powerful as the St. Croix and other models I tested. While the tips were impressively sensitive, the rod seemed to forfeit backbone for sensitivity and not strike an ideal balance between the two.
- Poor customer service: although the TFO comes with a lifetime warranty, one of the avid freshwater fishermen I had the pleasure of fishing with this week voiced his displeasure about the service he received from TFO. He seemed to still have a headache from his difficulty returning a damaged rod under warranty.
Whether you’re looking for a rod to troll, jig, or live bait fish, TFO has you covered, and best of all, it’s half the price of the St. Croix AVID Walleye Rods.
So why wait?
If you’re looking for more bang and fewer bucks, then the TFO Professional fishing rods are the perfect Walleye fishing rod.
Fenwick Elite Tech Walleye Series – Budget Pick For Best Walleye Jigging Rod
If you’re ready to take your Walleye fishing game to the next level, look no further than the Fenwick Elite Tech Walleye fishing rod. They are simply one of the best rods for jigging and landing big Walleye.
- Price: $$$
- Blank Material: Graphite
- Handle Material: EVA Foam
- Length: 6’3″ and 6’6″
- Power: Medium Light
- Action: Fast and Extra Fast
- Warranty: 1 Year
Why Buy The Fenwick Elite Tech Walleye Rod?
- A Walleye jigging machine
- Titanium frame guides are solid as a rock while still lightweight
- Hidden handle design
- Enough backbone to be versatile
- Technique specific models
Next up is the Walleye jigging machine. This series’s 5’9″ – 6’6″ rods are at the top of their class in jigging for Walleye.
The Fenwick Walleye Spinning Rod is a fisherman’s best friend. It has the sensitivity to fish with super light jigs and the backbone to help you reel in unexpected Carp or Sturgeon.
If you want the same Walleye fishing rod used by tournament anglers across the country, this is it.
Unlike many other spinning rods, the Fenwick Elite strikes the perfect balance between sensitivity and backbone. That means whether you are fishing a 3 oz. jig in 20 feet of water or a 1/4 oz. jig in 5 of water, the Fenwick Elite Tech gives you the balance you need to land the biggest Walleye in your area.
Plus, with the hidden handle design that contours to your hands, providing superior comfort, you can fish comfortably from sun up to sun down.
What about when it rains?
Don’t worry; Fenwick thought about that too. The handle is made of TAC material, so you won’t lose your grip or fish even when drenched.
If you’re ready to take your Walleye fishing game to the next level, look no further than the Fenwick Elite Tech Walleye fishing rod. They are simply one of the best rods for jigging and landing big Walleye.
What You Will Love About the Fenwick Elite Tech Walleye Rod
- Jigging versatility: This Walleye fishing rod is an all-in-one jigging rod. You have the pros of all jigging rods built into one. With no limits, you can catch Walleye no matter where you end up on the water.
- Solid as a rock: Made with Titanium guides and high-modulus graphite blanks that are known to withstand the wear and tear of clients aboard guide boats. More than one guide I fished with during my week of testing rods was equipped with more than a few Fenwick Elites.
- Ultra-sensitive tips: The extra fast and fast action rods provided superior sensitivity. Don’t fret about missing a Walleye during the beginning of the season when they tend to be extra picky. Plus, the short foregrip allows Walleye anglers to put their finger directly on the blank for even more sensitivity.
What You Won’t Love About the Fenwick Elite Tech Walleye Rod
- Poor packaging used for shipping: Many of the reviews I read touched on the fact that the rod arrived damaged due to insufficient packaging used for shipping. This is not how you want a rod to come, so consider two-day shipping, a more reliable way of getting packages to arrive undamaged.
- Only a one-year warranty: The first two rods on my list come with a 15-year and lifetime warranty, so just one year seems like nothing for the Fenwick Elite Tech. That said, Fenwick rods have a reputation for being durable and long-lasting.
So, if you are looking for a best-in-class Walleye jigging rod while saving money, look no further than the Fenwick Elite Tech. With their sensitivity, backbone, and versatility, you can’t go wrong with this rod for landing big fish all season long.
If you want an all-around rod for Walleye that is more advanced than any other rod on the planet, then opt for the St. Croix. If you want the peace of mind that a lifetime warranty offers, go with the TFO Walleye Rods.
Tica TACTICA XP Bass & Walleye Casting Rod – Best Walleye Rod For Rigging (Budget Pick)
If you’re looking for one of the best Walleye rods for pairing with a baitcaster, look no further than the Tica TACTICA XP Bass & Walleye Casting Rod. Whether you’re casting live bait or artificial lures, this rod will deliver accurate casts and significant results on your next Walleye fishing trip.
- Price: $$
- Blank Material: Graphite
- Handle Material: Cork
- Length: 7’0″ and 7’6″
- Power: Medium Heavy and Extra Heavy
- Action: Fast – Extra Fast
- Warranty: 1 Year
Why Buy The Tica TACTICA XP Bass & Walleye Casting Rod?
- Specifically engineered for casting and catching Walleye
- Built with the highest quality materials
- More accurate casts compared to a spinning rod
- Perfect specs for Walleye
- Less than $100
Up next is the best Walleye rod for casting. The rod is precisely engineered to target and catch Walleye and is built with the best quality materials. When paired with a good baitcasting reel, this rod has a substantial advantage of a spinning rod.
It features high-grade graphite blanks that can withstand a great deal of wear and tear, making it the perfect choice for experienced Walleye anglers who know how to handle powerful fish.
This rod series is offered in 7’0″ and 7’2″ models.
The 7’0″ casting rod comes with fast action tip and medium-heavy power.
The 7’2″ casting rod has a fast action tip but with heavy power.
Both models offer the perfect specs to cast accurately while providing the sensitivity and backbone necessary to land a big Walleye.
Plus, this rod is less than $100, making it a great budget-friendly choice for anyone looking to add a high-quality Walleye casting rod to their arsenal.
What You’ll Love About The Tica TACTICA XP Bass & Walleye Casting Rod
- Casting ability – An accurate cast gives you a huge advantage over using a spinning rod & reel. This rod is designed specifically to help you cast better than ever before.
- Lightweight design – the lightweight design of this rod makes it easy to use on long fishing trips and keeps your arms fresh throughout the day.
- High-quality materials – this is one of the best rods for Walleye fishing, thanks to its superior materials built to last.
- The price – priced under $100, this fishing rod is a steal and about a third of the cost compared to the St. Croix AVID Walleye.
What You Won’t Love About The Tica TACTICA XP Bass & Walleye Casting Rod
- The Warranty – While this rod does feel durable and well-made, TICA only offers a one-year warranty, just like the Fenwick Elite Tech. Compared to the 15-year guarantee from St. Croix and the lifetime warranty from TFO, the warranties alone make an excellent case to opt for my top 2 picks.
- Solid but not premium – all three rods that I have higher on the list have more features and are simply more advanced than this rod. While TICA is known to be a leader in rod innovation, the other Walleye fishing rods on this list are more premium rods.
So if you’re looking for one of the best Walleye rods for pairing with a baitcaster, look no further than the Tica TACTICA XP Bass & Walleye Casting Rod. Whether you’re casting live bait or artificial lures, this rod will deliver accurate casts and significant results on your next Walleye fishing trip.
Pair this rod with one of the best baitcasting reels and start landing some of the biggest Walleye of your life!
OKUMA Deadeye Telescopic Trolling Rod – Best Walleye Trolling Rod (Budget Pick)
The OKUMA Deadeye Telescopic rod is the perfect budget option for anglers looking to add a rod made specifically to troll for Walleye.
- Price: $
- Blank Material: Carbon fiber
- Handle Material: EVA foam
- Length: 7’10”
- Power: Medium
- Action: Medium-fast
- Warranty: 1 year
Why Buy The OKUMA Deadeye Telescopic Trolling Rod?
- Specifically engineered for trolling for Walleye
- High-quality graphite blank offers durability and sensitivity
- Perfect specs for fishing planers, down-riggers, or just in the rod holders
- Affordable price tag
- Stainless steel hook keepers
Last but certainly not least is the best Walleye fishing rod for trolling and for anglers on a budget or anyone who can’t sleep at night spending over $200 on a Walleye rod.
The OKUMA Deadeye Telescopic rod is the perfect budget option for anglers looking to add a rod made specifically to troll for Walleye.
For one, it has many high-end features that you only see on more expensive rods.
For example, the triangular-shaped foregrip allows you to keep a steady grip while handling a large catch. Also, this rod is made of e-glass, making it extremely strong and forgiving, perfect for trolling. Lastly, this rod features a highly compacted EVA grip that makes it easy to pull out of a rod holder quickly.
Okuma packs in many features for less than $75 while still keeping the price down, making this the perfect entry-level walleye rod.
What You’ll Love About The OKUMA Deadeye Telescopic Trolling Rod
- Durable, responsive construction – this rod immediately stuck out to me with how solid and well-built it is. With a high-quality graphite blank and solid e-glass liner, you can be sure that this rod will last for many seasons.
- Great specs – this is one of the few trolling rods on the market with enough power to handle even large catches while still offering a lightweight design that makes it easy to use all day long.
- Affordable – with a price tag under $75, you can’t beat the value of this rod. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced angler, you can feel confident that this rod is an investment worth making.
- Made for trolling – with features like the compacted EVA grip for quick retrieves out of the rod holder and a triangular-shaped foregrip, it’s easy to tell this rod is specifically engineered for Walleye trolling. The features plus solid construction give this rod an advantage for trolling compared to generic models that lack technique-specific modifications.
What You Won’t Love About The OKUMA Deadeye Telescopic Trolling Rod
- Slightly less sensitive than higher-end rods – trolling rods have a unique challenge of balancing sensitivity and stiffness. This rod does a solid job of balancing out the two, but higher-end rods like the St. Croix and TFO are more advanced in this regard, and I noticed this rod lacked sensitivity when I picked it up while trolling.
- Only a one-year warranty – I’m a big fan of warranties. The St. Croix and TFO Walleye fishing rods offer 15-year and lifetime warranties, while all three of my budget picks only have one-year guarantees. If you are an avid angler who puts rods through the wringer, opt for a more extended warranty.
So if you’re looking for an affordable and durable Walleye trolling rod, look no further than the OKUMA Deadeye Telescopic Walleye Trolling Rod. With top-shelf features, construction, and a very competitive price point, this is one of the best Walleye rods out there!
How to Choose the Best Walleye Fishing Rod
When choosing a fishing rod for Walleye, you’ll need to consider several factors. I will go over different Walleye fishing techniques and rod specifications when selecting a rod.
Walleye Fishing Techniques
Picking a rod explicitly made for a particular technique is critical, and you want to get this right. While some rods can be serviceable for all three styles, you will want to have a separate rod for jigging, live bait rigging, and trolling for optimal performance.
Jigging Rods
The best walleye jigging rod should be in the 5’6″ – 6’6″ range of length with either a fast or extra-fast action tip paired with medium or medium-light power.
The essential factor is tip action, so you are on the right track as long as you are in the range of fast or extra-fast.
Rod blanks for Walleye jigging rods should always be constructed of graphite or carbon fiber and never fiberglass.
All in all, the best Walleye rods for jigging should be lightweight and comfortable to handle while providing an excellent backbone to set the hook quickly.
Rigging Rods
Using live bait is my favorite fishing style to deploy during the summer heat. Fish tend to feed and congregate at greater depths, where the water is cooler during hot times of the year.
This means you will be fishing at greater depths, requiring more line capacity and more backbone in your fishing rod.
And this is where it gets tricky. Because of the additional backbone needed to pull up a monster fish from the bottom, finding a rod with an extra-fast action tip and superior sensitivity can take a lot of work.
Sensitive tips are equally crucial as the backbone for live rigging rods, so finding a rod that balances the two is vital. With flexible rod tips, all your hook setting power will come from the middle to back part of your rod (more on this later).
The best Walleye fishing rods for live rigging should be in the 7′ to 7’6″ range with an extra-fast tip action paired with medium or medium-heavy power.
Trolling Rods
While trolling for Walleye, you want to deploy a rod in the 7’6″ to 10′ range that has a light to moderate action tip and medium to medium-heavy power. My ideal choice would be 8’6″‘
Trolling rods should be able to bend significantly and be more forgiving than other Walleye rods so the hook is not ripped out once the fish starts fighting back.
Sensitivity is less crucial for trolling rods than jigging and live bait fishing. You will not pay a premium price to get an ultra-sensitive tip but rather a rod that can withstand the stresses of getting snagged and significant strikes while the boat is underway.
Walleye Rod Spec Considerations
After you have decided which rod to pair with each Walleye technique, it is time to get into the nitty gritty of comparing the specifications of each rod. The main specs to analyze are rod action, rod power, and the length of the rod.
Rod Action
The action of a fishing rod refers to its flexibility. A rod will flex at the tip with extra-fast or fast action, while it will flex more at the bottom with slow action.
Walleye rods used for vertical jigging and live bait casting generally have fast or extra-fast action. For trolling rods, the action should be moderate to fast.
I have mentioned previously how vital sensitivity is when choosing rods for Walleye fishing. In general, the sensitivity will be closely aligned with the rod action. Extra-fast action provides the most sensitivity, followed closely by fast action.
Sensitivity plays a part in jigging and live bait rods and not so much in trolling rods. It would be best if you detected the lightest of bites to help determine when to set the hook, but with trolling, the hook set is essentially done independently.
Rod Power
The power of a fishing rod can be thought of as the stiffness or how much force the rod can withstand. Rod power is referred to as heavy, medium, and light, with levels in between. For example, medium-heavy or medium-light.
Whether you are jigging, trolling, or live baiting, there are a few levels of rod power you want to stick with when fishing for Walleye.
Narrow your search to medium-heavy rods, medium-lite, and light.
The power level to choose from depends on several factors, including time of year, technique, water depth, wind, and water current.
When the water current is strong, and winds are high, you will need a rod with medium or medium-heavy power.
If you are fishing in lakes where the water depth doesn’t exceed 20ft. and the conditions are calm, a medium or light rod will serve you well.
Rod Length
As I have discussed previously, the rod length will depend on the fishing technique you are using.
A rod should be in the 5’6″ – 6’6″ range for jigging Walleye.
Your rod should be in the 7′ to 7’6″ range for live baiting.
For trolling, choose a rod no less than 7’6″ and no more than 10′ in length.
Common Questions Related to Walleye Fishing Rods
What pound test should I use for Walleye?
The best pound test for walleye fishing will depend on the size of your bait, the depth of the water, and how aggressive you expect the fish to be. You generally want to stick with a line between 12-20lb test of braided line.
For a complete guide on the best fishing line for Walleye, click here.
What color fishing line is best for Walleye?
There is no definitive answer to this question since the best color fishing line for Walleye will depend on several factors, including water clarity, time of year, and even your local fish populations. Generally, dark colors such as black or gray are best for walleye fishing.
Should you use a leader for walleye fishing?
While some anglers opt to use a leader when fishing for Walleye, it is generally unnecessary. A small wire leader can be used if you are targeting larger fish and want to minimize the risk of losing your bait or lure. Otherwise, there is no need to use a line leader.
What is the best bait for Walleye?
Live bait, preferably minnows. Both shiners and flathead minnows are my preferred choice. As I always say, the bigger the bait, the bigger the catch.
What time is best to catch Walleye?
Dawn and dusk. These hours are when Walleye are most active and feed near the surface.
Final Words
If you’re looking for the best rods for walleye fishing, look no further than our top 5 picks. Whether you are jigging, rigging, or trolling, we’ve got the best options to help you land those big catches.
For more guidance on choosing the best fishing gear, check out the pages below:
