From November to March much of Put-in-Bay is closed. The ferries either stop running or run a very limited schedule. Lake Erie freezes over, and for the winter months, the island becomes a sleepy community of under 500 residents. Reservation arrivals begin for the year in early April, when fishermen and bachelor & Batchelorette parties flock to the island, from all around the country to take part in the walleye hatch.