Walleye
Sander vitreus
Also known asYellow pike · Dore · Pickerel (Canadian usage)
Water parameters
Minimum tank: 800 L per individual at harvest size.
Feed and growth
- Feed protein
- 42% target
- Daily feed (warm)
- 1.10% of body weight
- Daily feed (cool)
- 0.60% of body weight
- Max density
- 30 g per litre
A 1500 g adult eats about 16.5 g of feed per day at optimum. 10 fish at adult size: ~165 g daily.
Legality
Rules vary by jurisdiction and change over time. Verify with your local fisheries or wildlife authority before stocking.
| Jurisdiction | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| California | permit required | Aquaculture registration required verified 2026-05-13 |
| Minnesota | permit required | Minnesota DNR aquaculture permit required for native species production verified 2026-05-13 |
Unlisted jurisdictions default to "check local regulations".
Origin and habitat
Native across central and northern North America, through the St. Lawrence and Great Lakes, the Arctic drainage and the Mississippi basin, from Quebec and the Northwest Territories south to Alabama and Arkansas. The species name vitreus, glassy, refers to its large reflective eyes: a tapetum lucidum behind the retina gathers dim light, so walleye see well at dawn, dusk and night and feed hardest then, preying chiefly on yellow perch. Adults usually reach about 80 cm and up to 9 kg, with records to 107 cm and 13 kg and ages near 29 years. The white, firm, lean flesh is widely judged the best-eating freshwater fish in North America, and the species anchors huge recreational fisheries across the northern US and Canada. Farmed production is rising but still small next to catfish or trout.
Climate and outdoor ponds
- Climate
- temperate (handles seasonal swings)
- USDA zones
- 3–8 (winter low around -40°C or warmer)
- Heating needed
- no
- Cooling needed
- yes, if summer water exceeds upper tolerance
Care notes
A premium cool-water food fish for aquaponics, the North American counterpart of the European pikeperch. Wild walleye favour cool water, but culture runs warmer for growth, roughly 24–25°C, within a working band near 4–28°C; a steadier optimum around 20–22°C keeps stress low. Pellet-trained fish reach perhaps 300–700 g in 18 to 24 months on high-protein feed of 42 to 48 percent, and recirculating-system trials report feed conversion around 1.3, though figures up to about 2 are common in less optimal setups. Walleye are the hardest of the commonly farmed percids: larvae are difficult to wean onto pellets, larviculture suffers heavy and often hidden mortality from cannibalism, and handling stress kills readily. Buy pellet-trained fingerlings from a specialist hatchery and expect to pay for them. Because the eyes are so light-sensitive, dim or shaded tanks improve feeding and cut stress, while bright overhead light does the opposite. Stock lightly, around {density:10}-{density:20}, keep dissolved oxygen above 5 mg/L and ammonia low. Fingerlings come mostly from Great Lakes and Upper Midwest producers, and the high market price helps justify the difficulty for growers who can manage the species.