The walleye is the most sought-after fish in Minnesota. Its
thick, white fillets, handsome shape and coloring, and elusive
nature make it the ultimate prize among anglers. Each year, anglers
in Minnesota keep roughly 3.5 million walleyes totaling 4 million
pounds. The average walleye caught and kept is about 14 inches long
and weighs slightly more than 1 pound. The walleye is named for its
pearlescent eye, which is caused by a reflective layer of pigment,
called the tapetum lucidum, that helps it see and feed at night or
in murky water.
A close cousin of the walleye is the sauger. Sauger have a more
limited distribution than walleyes, and they don't grow as large.
The two species look similar, but you can tell them apart by
looking at the tip of the lower part of the tail. That part of the
tail is white on a walleye, but not on a sauger.
To ensure that lakes produce enough walleyes to keep up with
growing angler demand, the DNR protects habitat, limits the catch
through regulations, and stocks fish where natural reproduction is
limited and other desirable fish species will not be harmed. In
recent years, the DNR has also instituted special regulations that
protect medium-sized walleyes on several lakes to increase the
average size of walleyes that anglers can catch.
STATE RECORD
Walleye: 17 pounds, 8 ounces, 35.8 inches, Seagull River (Cook
County). 05/13/1979.
Walleye-Sauger Hybrid: 9 pounds, 13.4 ounces, 27 inches,
Mississippi River (Goodhue County). 03/20/1999.