Fish of Minnesota Field Guide (Fish Identification Guides) [Idioma Inglés] - Tapa blanda

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Dave Bosanko was born in Kansas and studied engineering before following his love of nature to degrees in biology and chemistry from Emporia State University. He spent thirty years as staff biologist at two of the University of Minnesota’s field stations. Though his training was in mammal physiology, Dave worked on a wide range of research projects ranging from fish, bird and mammal population studies to experiments with biodiversity and prairie restoration. An avid fisherman and naturalist, he has long enjoyed applying the fruits of his extensive field research to patterning fish location and behavior, and observing how these fascinating species interact with one another in the underwater web of life.

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Perch Family (Percidae)

WALLEYE
Sander vitreus

Description: long, round body; dark silver or golden to dark olive brown in color; spines in both first dorsal and anal fin; sharp canine teeth; dark spot at base of the three last spines in the dorsal fin; white spot on bottom lobe of tail

Similar Species: Sauger (pg. 84), Saugeye

Other Names: marble-eyes, ’eye, walter, walleyed pike, jack, jackfish, pickerel

Habitat: lakes, rivers, and streams; abundant in some very large lakes

Range: northern states and Canada, now widely stocked in the U.S.; Minnesota—statewide

Food: mainly small fish, but also eats insects, crayfish, leeches, and frogs

Reproduction: spawning takes place in tributary streams or rocky lake shoals when spring water temperatures reach 45 to 50 degrees; no parental care

Record and Average Size: Minnesota state record—17 lb., 8 oz., 36.8 in.; Average Size—1 to 3 lb. and 10 to 18 in.

Fishing Tip: Casting imitation crawfish lures (the kind used for bass) into rocky shorelines at night can be very effective for large Walleyes.

Notes: Minnesota’s state fish, the Walleye is revered by Minnesota anglers. A dogged opponent, but not a spectacular fighter or jumper, the Walleye is at the top of the list of North American fish when it reaches the table. A reflective layer of pigment in the eye, the tapetum lucidum, allows Walleyes, and their cousin, Saugers, to see well in low-light conditions. As a result, Walleyes are most active at dusk, dawn, night, and under low-light conditions, such as choppy waves and cloudy skies.