Walleye are a popular freshwater game fish. Understanding their diet is fundamental for both comprehending their ecological role and improving fishing success. Their feeding habits are complex, influenced by various factors that dictate what and when they eat.
Natural Prey of Walleye
Walleye are opportunistic predators, consuming a wide range of aquatic organisms. Their diet primarily consists of smaller fish species, which they actively hunt. Yellow perch are a favored prey, often making up a significant portion of their diet, especially for adult walleye. Other common fish species walleye consume include shiners, ciscoes, suckers, minnows, gizzard shad, and alewives. The specific fish species available in a given body of water largely determines their prey.
Beyond fish, walleye incorporate invertebrates into their diet, particularly when fish prey is scarce or for younger walleye. Aquatic insects (such as mayfly nymphs and larvae), crayfish, and leeches are common food sources. Very young walleye (fry) initially feed on microscopic organisms like zooplankton, transitioning to insects and small fish as they grow.
Factors Influencing Walleye Diet
A walleye’s diet changes significantly throughout its life stages. Smaller, immature walleye consume more invertebrates and very small fish. As they mature, their diet shifts to predominantly fish, driven by their increasing size and developing predatory capabilities.
Seasonal variations also play a role in their feeding patterns. Walleye may feed more aggressively during the mating season in spring. Prey availability changes with the seasons; for instance, young-of-the-year fish become abundant in summer and fall. Water temperature impacts their metabolism and feeding activity, with optimal feeding temperatures ranging from 60-70 degrees Fahrenheit.
Habitat characteristics, such as water clarity, depth, and the presence of specific forage species, directly affect walleye feeding. Walleye prefer cool, deep, quiet waters during the day, often moving to shallower areas at night to feed. Their excellent low-light vision, attributed to a reflective layer in their eyes called the tapetum lucidum, provides an advantage when hunting in dim conditions, allowing them to effectively target prey when other fish have limited visibility.
Applying Diet Knowledge for Angling
Understanding the natural diet of walleye is beneficial for successful angling. Anglers can select baits and lures that imitate the walleye’s preferred natural prey. Common live baits include minnows, leeches, and nightcrawlers, directly mimicking their food sources. Minnows of appropriate size, particularly shiner minnows for larger walleye and fathead minnows for smaller fish, are often a bait of choice.
Artificial lures, such as jigs, crankbaits, and spinnerbaits, are designed to resemble the size, shape, and movement of the walleye’s natural forage. Matching the hatch, which involves using lures that replicate the prevalent local baitfish or insects, can increase catch rates. Considering the time of day and season is also important, as prey availability changes throughout the year.