Sight for Survival

How can this species remain abundant with the restrictions imposed on it by nature? The key lies in its most Prominent feature: its eyes. The eye of the walleye is very large and takes in a lot of light. It enables the fish to see extremely well during periods of low light intensity. The prey, on the other hand, is at a disadvantage, having increasing difficulty adjusting to diminishing light. This is the reason why anglers see more action from the walleye during dusk to dawn and on cloudy or dark days. The large, silvery-opaque eye gives the fish a "walleyed" appearance, hence its name. Although it can feed effectively during the day or in the middle of the night, the walleye becomes more active during the lower light periods of the day. In fact, during bright daylight periods, walleyes can become very inactive and unresponsive to even the most tempting offerings, especially in clear-water environments. This reaction is less dramatic in dirty or turbid waters where their light-sensitive eyes are less affected. 

Requirements

The walleye can be classified as a cool-water fish, and although it can easily exist in a wide range of lake types from deep, cold, clear, infertile lake trout-type lakes to shallow, warm, colored, weedy lakes, it does best in mesotrophic lakes which are characterized by moderate depths, cool water, and medium fertility.

For some reason, one of the top priorities for this species is a wide range of several miles. It is an active swimmer and a great traveller. Tagged walleyes have shown that some individuals travel over 100 miles in a month.

With increasing size, the walleye needs an aquatic environment that provides sufficient aquatic insects and their larvae and numerous other invertebrates. With further growth, fish such as yellow perch, minnows, suckers, and ciscoes are important items on their menu. Although they do not seem to eat during spawning, they do eat ravenously during the remainder of the year, including the winter months. In fact, no matter where the walleye lives, shallow or deep, it will have to relate to some type of forage. The walleye will even forego preferred temperature and habitat in order to keep a full stomach.

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