Slender fish with a mottled green body, large eye, and pointed snout.

Walleye

Sander vitreus
Where at Shedd?
At Home on the Great Lakes
Diet Insects and fishes at night; will eat crayfish, snails, frogs and other small animals when there are no fish or insects available
Size Length: Up to 42 inches (107 cm); common length 21 inches (54 cm)
Type Fishes
Range north-central United States and south-central Canada; widely introduced
Habitat Lakes, rivers and backwaters

Did you know?

  1. Anglers fishing for walleye seek out “walleye chop”—choppy waters. Walleye feed there because they see better in rough waters than their prey can.
  2. Fishing at night, anglers can spot walleye by shining big flashlights above the water, catching the light from the reflective layer in the fishes’ eyes.
  3. This popular fish is the state fish of Minnesota and South Dakota, Vermont’s official warm water fish, and Ohio’s unofficial state fish.

IUCN Red List Conservation Status