Walleye (Stizostedion vitreum)
Last Update/Review: August 6, 2002
This fish has a yellow-olive back, brassy, silvery sides with yellow spots, a white underside and a white edge on the lower part of the tail. The largest member of the perch family, the walleye has two distinct fins on its back, the first featuring large spines. Dusky vertical bars are often found on its body.
Sometimes incorrectly referred to as 'pickerel', the walleye is found in lakes and rivers throughout Alberta, except in the foothills and mountains. (The true pickerel is a member of the pike family and lives in eastern Canada.) Named for its big, g eyes, the walleye prefers deeper waters, although it also inhabits shallows.
Walleye begin moving toward their spawning areas in streams and on lake bottoms in late winter and early spring. Annual migrations to and from spawning grounds can exceed thousands of kilometres during the life span of a single fish. Before spawning occurs, there is much pursuit, pushing and circular swimming.
The walleye feeds mostly on other fish, such as yellow perch, lake whitefish and minnows, as well as insects. If fish and insects are scarce, it also consumes snails, frogs and small mammals. The northern pike is its chief predator. Walleye are highly valued as a sport and commercial fish in Alberta. They are hatched and reared at the Cold Lake Fish Hatchery and stocked in some Alberta lakes.
