Overview
The largest member of the perch family, it has been know to reach 25 lb (11 kg). Its closest relative and look a like is the sauger (Stizostedion canadense). Both have the large, glassy, opaque eyes that gave the walleye its name. In shallow water at night the eyes glow eerily under lights, readily identifying these fishes even before they can be seen. They sauger can be distinguished by the markings on their dorsal fins. The walleye's dorsal fin may be streaked, blotched, or plain, but lacks any clear spots and there is a prominent blotch at the posterior edge. On the sauger the fin is spotted and lacks any large blotch at the back edge. The lower lobe of the tail in the walleye is white tipped, a feature that is absent in the sauger. Internally, the walleye has 3 pyloric caeca each at least as long as the stomach, while the sauger has 3 9 (usually 5) pyloric caeca all considerably shorter than the stomach.
Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Actinopterygii
- Order
- Perciformes
- Family
- Percidae
- Genus
- Sander
- Species
- vitreus
Habitat
Walleye prefer rivers and clear lakes in Canada and the upper Midwest that contains gravel reefs, vegation beds, and open water.
Diet
Yellow Perch, Shad, Shiners, Drums, Minnows, Leeches, Crayfish, Worms, Frogs, Salamanders
Behavior
Walleye spawn in the spring, usually when the water tempertures reach the upper 40s. They lay their eggs along shallow gravel/rubble shorlines, where the waves, wind, and current keep the eggs well oxygenated. Walleye do not gaurd their eggs and are random spawners.
Fishing
Walleye is an extremely popular sportfish and an excellent food fish. The flesh is white to pink, firm and considered prime on the market. Artifial baits or live baits will catch Walleye. Artifials baits include spinners, jigs crankbaits, swimbaits, rattlers, jerkbaits, lead heads, spoons, ect. Live baits include shiners, worms, leeches, minnows, madtoms, hellgrammites, crayfish, fathead, chub (creek chub), hornyhead chub, mud minnows, suckers, ect.
Conservation Status
Listed as Least Concern by IUCN.