Scientific Name: Sander vitreus
Family: Percidae
Common Name: Walleye
Nick Names: White-tip, Marble Eyes, Grass Pike, Gum Pike, Walter etc
Description
Walleye have a long, slender body. They are famous for their white-tipped tail, but also are known for their tapetum lucidum. This is a part of the eye that is designed to capture all available light and utilize it for low light vision, because of this walleye are tremendous low light predators. It is highly visible as it shines when light is abundant. This is why they are often referred to as “marble eyes”.
Similar Species
Sauger (Sauger canadensis) are cousins of walleye and often are present in many of the same water bodies as well as feed on the same food sources. Sauger lack the white-tipped tail and also have spots on their dorsal fin. These are the top two ways to tell these species apart. Walleye and sauger can interbreed and create a “Saugeye”. This can make distinguishing species even more difficult. The saugeye lack the pronounced white-tip a walleye has, but will have more white to their tail than a sauger as well as some different spotting and blotching on their dorsal fin. Contrary to popular belief, walleye are not directly related to Northern Pike or Muskellunge (Muskie) as these species are in the Esocidae (Esox) family, while walleye are in the Percidae family.
Distribution and Habitat
Walleye are classified as a cool water fish. This means that they prefer cool water environments. They are native to the Northern United States and Canada but their range extends as far South as Mississippi or Alabama. Walleye are naturally a river species: however, they do very well in natural lakes and man-made reservoirs as well. If the opportunity is present a reservoir fish may go up river to spawn. Walleye often can be found in deeper water, where they can find cooler water and avoid light. They are extremely sensitive to light so they tend to feed at dawn/dusk when light is reduced and they have the vision advantage over their prey as well. The term “walleye chop” relates to this, because wave action disrupts light penetration making it darker below the surface. This also can stir sediment up further decreasing light penetration. These conditions make it much more tolerable for walleye to be shallow and active as well as be able to utilize their vision advantage all day long.
Age and Growth
Age and growth is directly related to geographic location. Southern fish enjoy a significantly longer growing season and exceptional growth rates, but have a much shorter lifespan. Northern fish grow slower, but can live nearly twice as long. Lake type is also a huge factor. Fish in eutrophic, nutrient rich, lakes can exhibit remarkable growth rates whereas fish in oligotrophic, nutrient limited, lakes have much slower growth rates. Eutrophic lakes are generally shallower and extremely fertile. Oligotrophic can be classified more as deeper, clearer water bodies that lack the production of the shallower, more fertile lakes.
Reproduction
Walleye will spawn when water temperatures are anywhere from 40-52 degrees. Photoperiod, how long the days are, is also a huge influence as well. Photoperiod remains a constant year in and year out while water temperature and weather patterns can fluctuate. This means that generally the walleye want to spawn at a certain time and if conditions are right they will. If it is a late spring and/or they cannot spawn when they want to they will really kick it into gear as soon as conditions are right. Walleye spawn on rocky and gravel shorelines. These could be anywhere from 1-10ft depending on the habitat present in a certain waterbody. A good rule of thumb is males reach sexual maturity at age two and females do at age three. However, geographic location is a huge influence on this. A Minnesota walleye may reach sexual maturity at age 3-4 and live to age 15-20 whereas an Alabama walleye may reach sexual maturity at age 2 and only live to age 3-4.
Feeding
Walleye are piscivorous. This means that their diet is nearly entirely other fish. There really is no preference in prey as walleye will often feed based on availability and vulnerability. Their diet is often composed of perch, smelt, alewife, shad, tullibee, fathead minnows, juvenile panfish or even rainbow trout. Essentially walleye will feed on whatever fish prey species is present.
Related Species
