Walleye

Length:  25 - 85 cm. (10-33 in.)

Distribution/Habitat:
lakes and rivers throughout most of Ontario

Similar fish:

• sauger
• yellow perch 

Key identifying characteristics

• white tip on lower tail fin;
• no distinct blotches or bands on adults

The walleye (also known as pickerel) is found throughout Ontario and is particularly common in the Great Lakes basin. In Northern Ontario it is found in abundance in a wide range of waters.

Walleye thrive in a range of river and lake conditions from cold, clear water to warm, weedy and stained water. Preferred cover includes weed, wood and rock. Bottom types can be anything from soft mud to flooded timber, rubble or bedrock.

The walleye is a light-avoiding fish, caught most often under low light conditions. Fishing is generally best on cloudy or overcast days, or on days when waves keep light from penetrating too deeply into the water.

In springtime walleye will take almost any bait or lure, but may be more challenging to catch through the summer months. Fall often brings another peak of walleye feeding activity.

Casting or trolling with spinners or minnow-imitating plugs is a good bet. Special worm harness rigs of spinners and beads are often trolled. Jigs, either traditional bucktails, or tipped with any of the modern plastics, a piece of worm or minnow are walleye angling favorites.

Excellent live bait includes:

• minnows
• earthworms
• crayfish. 

Live baits are often still-fished, drifted or trolled on slip-sinker or "bottom-bouncing" rigs. Walleye are readily caught through the ice, usually on jigs, jigging spoons or minnows.