Freshwater fishing in the north leads many anglers to a few highly sought after game fish. Among those fish are walleye and pickerel. Both are fish that are fun to reel in, and both taste rather good once they’ve been fileted and prepared properly.
If you’re looking to fish in the northern waters in North America, there’s a good chance you’ll encounter one, if not both, of these fish while on your trips. Knowing a bit about each can help you decide which fish you’re after, as well as how to fish for each. Find out all you need to know about walleye and pickerel here.
Table of Contents
Walleye Appearance
The walleye, whose scientific name is Sander vitreus, is a fish found all over the continent of North America. They’re related to perch, and as such have a similar look to them. Walleye are olive or golden in color, with five or more dark bands running the length of their body. The bands on their back are dark brown to black in color. The underside of the walleye is entirely white. The back of the fish has two dorsal fins, one spiny and one soft-rayed.
When looking down the nose of a walleye, you’ll find a few unique features. The first thing you’re likely to notice is their large mouth. Inside of their mouth you’ll find many sharp teeth, and you’ll immediately know that you’re dealing with a predatory fish.
After the mouth, you’ll get a good look at the eyes that the fish is named for. When looking at the eyes you’ll notice that they seem murky, almost milky in appearance. What you’re seeing is actually the reflection of light against a membrane in the back of their eyes. This membrane helps the walleye gather more light than other fish, allowing it to feed in dark or murky waters. This is their biggest predatory advantage, and walleye are known to hunt almost entirely based on sight.
Walleye are, on average, about 22 inches in length and weigh anywhere from 3 to 5 pounds. These fish are known to live for 10 years or more, with specimens that live in colder waters reaching 20 years in age.
Walleye Behavior
Walleye are a nocturnal predator, and they feed from dusk until dawn. Their highly sensitive eyesight allows them to hunt in the dark, putting them at a predatory advantage once the sun begins to go down.
These fish are most active in the late spring and early fall, with activity dropping off in the dead of summer and during the entirety of winter. The best walleye fishing happens in spring, usually around spawning season. While there is a drop in activity during the actual spawning time frame, the few weeks following spawning are highly active, with many fish feeding voraciously to revitalize the energy spent spawning.
Walleye are wary predators, and tend to stay out of sight as often as possible. They are hyper aware of boats and anglers, and will stay away from both once they’re spotted. To fish for walleye, techniques of fishing far off the shoreline or far from the boat must be employed, so as not to spook them. Their wary nature also causes them to be gentle strikers, unlike that of other predatory fish. Because of this, walleye need to be coaxed into taking the bait and patience is required to land them in most scenarios.
Walleye Range
Walleye have been introduced to the majority of the North American continent. These fish can be found as far south as Alabama and Georgia in the United States, and as far north as the Arctic regions of Canada. Their range covers the continent nearly coast to coast, with the northern populations of walleye being littered from the Northwest Territories all the way east to Quebec. The range in the United States is similar in terms of coast to coast populations. Walleye inhabit ponds, lakes, rivers, and creeks.
Pickerel Appearance
The pickerel, with the scientific name Esox niger, is part of the pike family, and looks as such. While pickerel are indeed pike, when the common name pickerel is used the chain pickerel is the fish that is being referred to in most cases.
Pickerel are green in color, with areas being broken up by yellow-green splotches that create a pattern reminiscent of chain links, hence the name. The bottom of the pickerel is similarly white, as is the walleye’s underside. This is common in many freshwater fish. Pickerel only have one dorsal fin, near the end of their body where the tail starts.
The pickerel’s mouth is large, like the walleye’s, but longer overall. Sharp teeth line the mouth of the pickerel as well, as it, too, is a predatory fish. Pickerel are, on average, 14 to 19 inches long and 2 to 3 pounds in weight, similar to walleye. It’s easy to tell how the two can be confused for one another by new or inexperienced anglers.
Pickerel Behavior
While pickerel and walleye are both predatory fish, their methods of feeding are far different from one another’s. Pickerel are ambush predators, while walleye are cruising predators. Walleye will sit near the surface of the water, and will wait for prey to come within eyesight. Because they employ this tactic for feeding, they tend to stay in areas of vegetation, like above weed beds and below lily pads, as well as in any structures underwater that will house prey. Pickerel are diurnal, as well, feeding during daylight hours mostly.
Pickerel Range
Chain pickerel have a much more limited range than that of walleye, only inhabiting the eastern side of North America. However, their range stretches further south, into Florida, while still stretching north up into the eastern area of Canada. Chain pickerel can be found in swamps, vegetated lakes and ponds, creeks, and small to medium size rivers.
Walleye, Pickerel, and Pike, Oh My!
Walleye, pickerel, and pike seem to be the big three when it comes to North American gamefish. When speaking to anglers from different regions, or when speaking with new anglers, you’ll hear the names of these fish used interchangeably. While they have some similarities, they’re very different from one another in some fairly obvious ways. While the coloration of walleye and pickerel can lead to confusion between the two, the physical similarities between pickerel and pike can cause confusion as well. To set the record straight, see the below descriptions of each fish.
- Walleye – Yellow or gold with black bands, two dorsal fins, cloudy eyes, 22 inches in length on average
- Pickerel – Green with yellow-green patterns resembling chains, one dorsal fin set far back on the body, 14 to 19 inches in length on average
- Pike – Light to dark green, silver spots that do not overlap, one dorsal fin set far back on the body, up to 4 feet long
As you can see, each fish sounds somewhat similar, but there are striking differences between the three that make each easy to identify. While pike and pickerel may be similar in shape, they are nowhere near similar in size and coloration. Unfortunately, some people believe and circulate that pickerel are just young pike, but that simply isn’t the case. Knowing the difference between these fish can help you pinpoint all the details you’ll need to fish for them effectively.
Read more about Walleye in the Oven
Sources
- nwf.org Walleye
- Walleye – Freshwater Fish of America
- 5 Important Facts about Walleye Behavior that Will Make Fishing Them Easier – Wildewood On Lake Savant
- Chain Pickerel: Species Information: Fisheries: Fish & Wildlife
- Comparison Between Northern Pike and Chain Pickerel: Species Information: Fisheries: Fish & Wildlife
- Walleye or Pickerel – The Great Debate
- Differences Between a Pike and a Pickerel | Difference Between