Perch and Walleye belong to the Percidae family and are among the most highly demanded game fish globally but very popular in North America. They are freshwater ray-finned and bottom-dwelling fish that inhabit shallow ends of the lakes, dams, rivers, and streams. Both have spines on their dorsal fins and move in schools. They have a mildly sweet taste, low in cholesterol, and high in vitamins. Unlike Perch, Walleye are longer, aggressive predators and are challenging to catch. 

The Similarities Between Perch and Walleye

Physical similarities between Perch and Walleye

Perch and Walleye have a gold color with vertical stripes on their body and white bellies. They both have slim body shapes. They both have two dorsal fins, whereby one has spines while the other one is soft-rayed. The spines can be up to 15. Both Perch and Walleye are carnivores and have large mouths. They have ctenoid scales with up to more than five dark stripes on their bodies. They also have visible lateral lines, very large eyes, and small heads.  

Similarities in Habitat between Perch and Walleye

Both Walleye and Perch are deep-sitting freshwater fish from the Percidae family. They inhabit shallow large rivers, streams, dams, and lakes. They move in schools to where the temperature is cool and favorable and tend to congregate under the waters. The only difference is that Walleye love fast-moving waters, and Perch prefer calm water. They both prefer rocky waterbeds with a pile of gravel.

Perches have poor night vision. They see well when there is light. Therefore, they tend to be very active when there is sunlight, particularly after sunrise and late afternoon, a period before sundown. It explains why they only feed when the sun goes up and before it goes down. At night, Perch remain still under the deep waters.

On the contrary, Walleyes have good eyesight even when light conditions are low. Such ability allows them to hunt even at night, dawn, or dusk. Besides, walleyes are vicious predators that prey on various minnows and fish, especially the yellow Perch. They are difficult to catch during the day and tend to feed at night. Both Perch and Walleye tend to feet early in the morning and before sunset. 

Nutritional similarities between Perch and Walleye

Both Perch and Walleye are low in cholesterol and high in vitamins. Perch and Walleye are low in fat and have almost the same amount of proteins of about 20.1g for each serving. They all have zero carbohydrates, fiber, and sugar. Perch and Walleye also have the same quantity of pantothenic acid and B-12. 

The Differences between Perch and Walleye

Physical differences between Perch and Walleye

Perch and Walleye have distinctive features. A walleye has very shiny eyes with large spots on its back and smaller spots on the fins. The tip of the tail has a large white spot. Walleye has dark blotch fins. They are colorless but with black spots. In Perch, the fins are reddish-orange. Even though they both have ctenoid scales, Walleyes’ cheeks are not covered with scales. Also, Perch has a slightly forked tail, but Walleye’s tail is deeply forked. 

While the Walleye have large backward-bent canine teeth, the Perch lack canines, and instead, they have many sandpaper-like or brush-like teeth on their jaws and jaw roofs (palatines). Besides, Walleye has a larger mouth than the Perch. It also has a well-developed lateral line that extends to the tip of the caudal fins. In Perch, the lateral line does not extend up to the caudal fins.

They also vary in sizes. Walleye is not as compressed or deep-bodied as the Perch. Walleye is 22.3 inches (54cm) long with a maximum length of up to 42 inches (107cm). Perch can grow up from 6 to 12 inches, and some may grow larger. Walleye is also heavier than Perch. 

Differences in Taste between Perch and Walleye

Walleye and Perch are easy to prepare. They can be stewed, grilled, boiled, and pan-fried. They have a mild sweet taste and lack a fishy smell. Both have dense white and flaky meat. They are excellent delicacies when pan-fired with pepper and salt. Unfortunately, they are not one of the best fishes to bake. 

Although they are mildly sweet, Walleye is sweeter than Perch. Perch has lean meat, while Walleye has very thick meat that feels the mouth when eating. When cooking Perch, it does not pull away from the flaky flesh. However, Walleye’s flesh is flakier that it pulls away from the sturdy flesh. Therefore, when cooked, Perch tend to have a medium-firm texture while Walleye exhibit firmer texture. 

Nutritional differences between Perch and Walleye

Walleye has slightly more calories than Perch. Three oz of cooked Walleye has about 110 calories, while 3 oz of Perch has 99 calories. Walleye is slightly high in minerals than Perch. 

Mineral distribution varies in both fish. Perch has 18% DRI of copper, 12% DRI of iron, 10% DRI of niacin, 78% of B-12, 33% of manganese, and 15% of pantothenic acid in a single serving. On the other hand, Walleye has 38% of manganese, 18% of iron, 22% of DRI copper, 13% of riboflavin, 82% of B-12, 22% of DRI thiamin, 15% of niacin, and 15% of pantothenic acid. 

How to fish Perch and Walleye

Dams and further downstream offer the perfect fishing ground for Walleye and Perch. Around March to April is a spawning season for Walleye. During this period, in the evening hours, they tend to venture into the shallow waters just as Perch does when hunting for food. Therefore, Walleyes pose a great fishing opportunity in the evening. An Angler can catch them using a light jig tipped with nightcrawler or minnow, making jig fishing the most effective bait fishing technique for Walleyes. Spooking can work but only in shallow waters, and it requires utmost stealthiest.

Moreover, using Crank-baits that mimic the natural food for fish works well when fishing Walleye in deep waters or rising waters. Trolling at a speed of about 1.8m/h is effective in catching more Walleyes. However, a dangler must place the lures in the feeding zone.

Perch is caught mainly through lure and float fishing. An angler can employ varying methods to catch Perch. They include bottom bait rigs and jigging, but with soft baits like a minnow, grubs, crayfish, grasshoppers, and worms. The good news is that Perch fall for bait easily. The best time to catch Perch and Walleye is in the early mornings and before sunset. A walleye angler requires a medium-light spinning rod, whereas a perch angler needs a lighter jig rod. Both serve as sport fish in North America.

Conclusion

Both Walleye and Perch are carnivores who live in freshwater fish from the same family. They have striking physical features and habits but easy to distinguish. Walleye is longer and heavier than Perch. An angler can use bait to catch a Perch and Walleye. While it is difficult to catch Walleye than Perch, the early evening offers a perfect golden hour for a good catch. It is easy to catch Walleye where schools of Perch are swimming.