May 14, 1999

    A Walleye can Take Time to Catch

The walleye became the official state fish in May 1965.  It is native to many lakes and streams throughout Minnesota and has been widely introduced where it was not found.  It has a broad distribution in North America, from Canada's Northwest Territories east to Labrador and south to North Carolina and Arkansas.  It is in the perch family, which also includes the well-known yellow perch, the sauger and 15 species of small fishes called darters.

The eye of the walleye has an opaque appearance that is responsible for its common name.  Walleyes are carnivorous fish; an adult will eat 10 to 20 small fish per day and can also forage on leeches and crayfish.

A walleye may reach a length of more than 3 feet and weigh 15 to 18 pounds.  However, weights more than 10 pounds are rare.  The average fish caught by an angler usually ranges from 1 to 4 pounds and is 3 to 5 years old.  The world record for a hook-and-line walleye is a 25-pound fish caught in Old Hickory Lake, Tennessee, in 1960.  The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources reports that the average angler spends 3½ hours catching each walleye.