The walleye is a highly sought-after freshwater fish, appreciated for both its elusive nature and its flavor. Understanding its appearance is key to identifying this distinctive species in various aquatic environments. This guide details the walleye’s physical attributes, from its overall body shape and coloration to its unique identifying features, helping to distinguish it from similar-looking fish.
General Physical Characteristics
Walleyes have a long, slender body that is somewhat torpedo-shaped, allowing for efficient movement through water. Adults typically range from 14 to 23 inches in length and weigh 1.5 to 3 pounds, though some can exceed 30 inches and 10 pounds. The maximum recorded size is around 42 inches and 29 pounds.
Their coloration generally ranges from olive green to golden along its sides, often displaying five darker, saddle-like bars or mottled patterns along its back that extend down to its upper sides. This dappled appearance provides effective camouflage within their varied freshwater habitats. Their belly typically has a lighter, white coloration, helping them blend in when viewed from below against the brighter surface water.
Distinctive Identifying Features
Several traits differentiate the walleye from other fish species. Their namesake comes from their large, pearlescent eyes, which have a cloudy or “glassy” appearance. This unique look is due to a reflective layer behind the retina called the tapetum lucidum, enhancing their vision in low-light conditions and enabling them to see well in murky waters or at night.
Walleyes have two distinct dorsal fins: a spiny one closer to the head and a soft-rayed one. A prominent dark blotch is found at the base of the spiny anterior dorsal fin. Their large mouth contains numerous sharp, canine-like teeth used for grasping and holding prey, numbering around 30 to 40 in an average adult and can be up to half an inch long. A white tip on the lower lobe of their caudal (tail) fin is another distinguishing characteristic. The body is covered with ctenoid scales, which possess small, tooth-like projections on their exposed edges, giving them a somewhat rough texture.
Distinguishing from Lookalikes
Walleyes are sometimes confused with other fish, particularly the sauger and northern pike, but distinct visual differences aid identification. When comparing a walleye to a sauger, observe the dorsal fin markings. Walleyes have a singular dark blotch at the rear base of their spiny dorsal fin, while saugers typically have distinct rows of black spots across their entire dorsal fins. The walleye’s tail also features a clear white tip on its lower lobe, a marking absent on the sauger’s tail, which maintains a more consistent pattern. Saugers tend to have a brassier or darker coloration with more pronounced dark blotches along their sides, while walleyes generally exhibit a more uniform olive-gold body color.
Distinguishing a walleye from a northern pike involves noting significant anatomical differences. Northern pike have a long, slender, flattened body with a distinctive “duck-billed” snout, contrasting with the walleye’s more robust, rounded body. The dorsal fin of a northern pike is positioned much further back on its body, close to the tail, and is typically a single fin, unlike the walleye’s two separate dorsal fins. Pike also display light, bean-shaped spots in horizontal rows along their greenish body, differing from the walleye’s mottled olive-gold pattern. Pike have clear, normal-looking eyes suited for daytime hunting, unlike the walleye’s reflective, cloudy eyes adapted for low-light conditions.