When you’re fishing up north, one of the fish you’re likely trying to find is the walleye. Walleye are a fun fight when you get them on the hook, and once you’ve reeled them in they taste great! If you’re heading out to catch some walleye, it’s important that you know about them, as well as all of the fish that they get confused with. Keep reading to learn more!
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What’s a Walleye?
Walleye may be the second most popular game fish in North America, right behind bass. The best part about walleye though is their range. They can be found from the southern United States all the way up to the Arctic Circle in Canada. They’re also found from the east coast to the west coast of the continent. Part of this is because they’ve been introduced to many waterways on the continent.
When looking for walleye, you’re sure to find them in deeper lakes, as well as medium to large rivers, you just have to know where to look. They like waters with high turbidity, as their vision gives them an overall advantage. In either body of water they like to have cover both above and below the surface. Overhanging trees provide shade for them, and downed trees and boulders provide underwater structures that they can hide in. These are shy fish, and they like to be hidden when possible.
Walleye are a part of the perch family. As such, they’ve got that classic gold to olive coloring, with five or more distinct dark bands running the length of their back. Their mouths are large, and filled with needle-like teeth. The walleye was named for its eyes, which have a reflective layer. This layer causes them to appear hazy in the light. It allows the fish to collect more light in the dark, making this species entirely nocturnal. To add to their physical characteristics, the fish have two dorsal fins. The front dorsal fin is spiny-rayed, while the back dorsal fin is soft-rayed.
Walleye and Sauger
Sauger and walleye are considerably similar in appearance. For the most part, the two fish are seemingly identical. When you’re comparing the two, though, there are some distinct physical features that set them apart. Unlike walleye, sauger have the following features:
- Rather than dark bands, sauger have dark splotches across their body
- The spiny-rayed dorsal fin of the sauger is lined in black spots
- They have similar, but more reflective eyes than the walleye
When comparing the size of the walleye and the sauger, one of the sure-fire ways of telling you’ve caught one or the other is their size. Walleye are larger than sauger, for the most part. Walleye can reach lengths up to 24 inches on average, but sauger rarely exceed 18 inches in length. If you’ve caught what you think might be a small walleye, it might actually just be a large sauger.
Walleye and Saugeye
To make things slightly more confusing, not only are there both walleye and sauger, but there are saugeye, too! These are the hybrids of walleye and sauger, and as such they are somewhat similar to both of them. They occur when male sauger fertilize female walleye eggs. They’re normally bred in captivity, in fish hatcheries, then released into waterways.
Saugeye look far more like the sauger than they do the walleye, but they tend to be larger. They reach about 20 inches in length, sometimes reaching up to 22. They’re smaller than walleye in terms of both weight and length. Something that is unique to saugeye, however, is their coloration and body patterns. These fish are known to have both bands and blotches, making them harder to identify accurately.
Walleye and Chain Pickerel
Chain pickerel may be the odd fish out on this list, but nonetheless, they are still heavily talked about when fishing for walleye. Chain pickerel are far more closely related to pike. They have long, elongated bodies that look like small missiles. Similar to walleye, they have long mouths that are filled with sharp teeth. Other than that, they aren’t very similar in shape or appearance.
The chain pickerel is most often green, with patterned sides. The patterns, as the name implies, look similar to links of chains running down the length of the pickerel’s body. They only have one dorsal fin, set near the back of the fish’s body. When it comes to their overall size, they tend to be smaller than walleye, only reaching 19 or so inches, and weighing less than 3 pounds on average.
Walleye and Zander
Zander are often called the European walleye. They’re very similar to the North American walleye that we enjoy fishing for. The main differences between the two fish are their natural range and their size. The zander is considered an invasive species in the United States, and they’ve only been introduced into one body of water on the continent. That body of water is Spiritwood Lake, in North Dakota.
Zander are known for reaching lengths of 30 inches, weighing 4 to 8 pounds on average. They’re much larger than that of the walleye, and they have been known to reach sizes of up to 40 inches, weighing close to 30 pounds. Zander and walleye could be easily confused, if they were to share waters with one another more often. The North American walleye has never been seen outside of its home continent. The zander, on the other hand, has been introduced far outside of its natural range, across Europe and in parts of Asia, as well.
Why All the Confusing Nicknames?
For the most part, walleye get easily confused with many of the fish that we have listed above. That’s due to a few different reasons. First of all, walleye are closely related to three of the four fish above. Walleye, sauger, and saugeye are very closely related, and live in the same waterways, for the most part. As such, the fish have similar colorations and patterns. This is understandable, since they have the same conditions to be concerned about.
Even more understandably, the walleye and the zander are nearly identical. However, they don’t inhabit the same waters. They do, however, have the same nickname, as the zander is called the European walleye. The one that makes the least sense, however, is the confusion between the chain pickerel and the walleye. The two look very different from one another, and behave in a manner that’s nearly opposite of each other. Nevertheless, they tend to be brought up in conversation together quite often.
Why Walleye Are the Best to Fish For
If you’re considering fishing for any of the fish above, you’ll want to fish for walleye over all of the others. These fish are notoriously shy, and can be quite the challenge. Because of this, however, they make the catch that much more rewarding. They’re hard to pin down and reel in, and when you manage to, they put up quite the fight.
Then, once you’ve caught your walleye, you can enjoy it for dinner! Walleye are a delicious fish that can cost more than many other options in the supermarket. You can prepare them in a number of ways, and one fish can provide a good-sized meal for two. If you’re looking to catch a delicious fish, and are considering any of the options above, you’ll want to choose the walleye. They’re highly talked about fish for good reason.
Read more about Pike Vs. Walleye