Wilderness walleyes

[Northwoods]

I sharpened my fillet knife, put some ice in the cooler, and headed to one of my favorite walleye holes in the Boundary Waters this morning. I had my limit filleted up and in the cooler by lunch.

 

[MTLabrador]

It always surprises me how walleye from that type of water look so different than reservoir walleyes. Just like the difference in a wild river rainbow compared to a reservoir stocker.

 

[coleslaw]

Well done

 

[duckhunt]

That's a great morning

 

[seeth07]

It always surprises me how walleye from that type of water look so different than reservoir walleyes. Just like the difference in a wild river rainbow compared to a reservoir stocker.

That's how they are supposed to look! Mam those are gorgeous walleyes. No doubt from pine stained Northwoods waters! They have an entirely different taste too, good flavor

 

[Four22]

I live an hour from Indiana’s “best walleye lake in the state”.

Any tips on how to go catch some?

 

[Northwoods]

I live an hour from Indiana’s “best walleye lake in the state”.

Any tips on how to go catch some?

I can catch a lot of walleyes on Canadian Shield lakes but unfortunately I’m a one-trick pony.

 

[Art Vandeley]

I live an hour from Indiana’s “best walleye lake in the state”.

Any tips on how to go catch some?

I would do a little research and figure out what the primary forage in the system will be for when you are wanting to go. Then use a jig with a plastic that imitates that type of bait and you're on the right track

 

[brocksw]

It always surprises me how walleye from that type of water look so different than reservoir walleyes. Just like the difference in a wild river rainbow compared to a reservoir stocker.

There has to be something else besides reservoir vs natural lake. In ND I've caught devils lake (Natural Lake) walleye and Sakakawea Walleye (Reservoir) that look the same. Same coloring, same build. I've also caught walleye out of the Missouri River system from the Garrison Dam all the way to the SD border (All natural reproduction) and they also look the same as Sakakawea and Devils lake walleye.

 

[Pagosa]

Beautiful fish and great catch

 

[colo_junk]

I sharpened my fillet knife, put some ice in the cooler, and headed to one of my favorite walleye holes in the Boundary Waters this morning. I had my limit filleted up and in the cooler by lunch.

Should have asked more questions on here before I took my first trip up there two weeks ago. Couldn't catch a walleye the entire time I was up there but congrats on the limit

 

[seeth07]

An old timer at the place in the UP we went when I was kid said it was the iron ore that made the water & fish that dark color. It's not just walleye, all fish from those waters have that dark tone.

The old man could have been wrong, I just never went looking for the scientific explanation.

As I mentioned, it has to do with the evergreens around the lakes/streams that provide that stained water. I remember reading an article a long time ago about it. Maybe the article was wrong and I was mislead?

 

[Nicoli7153]

An old timer at the place in the UP we went when I was kid said it was the iron ore that made the water & fish that dark color. It's not just walleye, all fish from those waters have that dark tone.

The old man could have been wrong, I just never went looking for the scientific explanation.

I've always been told it was from the tannin in the water from conifers and leaves from deciduous trees.

 

[Birdbander]

As I mentioned, it has to do with the evergreens around the lakes/streams that provide that stained water. I remember reading an article a long time ago about it. Maybe the article was wrong and I was mislead?

My apologies.

 

[Birdbander]

I've always been told it was from the tannin in the water from conifers and leaves from deciduous trees.

My apologies.

 

[Nicoli7153]

My apologies.

By no means is an apology in order! That's what my info has been. Tahquamenon river is a good example of tannin stained water.

 

[BrentD]

I grew up on the edge of the BWCA, on a border lake (brown water). A few miles away a friend grew up on a white (clear) water lake. There isn't a dime's worth of difference that I can see in the tannin bearing trees between the two. But this is the most popular explanation for the coloration.

Interestingly, some lakes, eg. Basswood, are white water at one end, brown at the other. I don't know if walleye coloration varies between them. I certainly never noticed it. But I do think this is an interesting hypothesis that I should test asap. I need to mount a walleye sampling expedition!

FWIW, my brown water lake rarely produced walleyes as dark as Northwoods, but they were always darker than what I've seen from most other places (e.g., Randy's walleyes). All I know is that they all eat well. Real well.