BlueWalleye.com is dedicated toward serving anglers, scientists and researchers. If you have seen blue walleye please share your findings with us by adding the following information in comment to this posting:
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185 comments:
My name is Mike and I live in Hayward Wisconsin.
On January 14th I caught a 23" walleye with a girth of 13.5"
that weighed 5.5 lbs.
The walleye was caught in Moose Lake, Sawyer County, WI.
The fish had a blue slime which grew mostly on its back. When I did lay the fish in the snow the slime tinted the snow blue. I do have pictures of the fish that show the blue tint.
The fish was a female and seemed to be in good health.
The other two walleye we caught that day were small (8", 11") and did not appear to have any blue slime on them.
Hi Mike. Thanks for your report from Moose Lake. We will incorporate it into our data base. Northern Wisconsin is our southern most sighting so far.
Wayne Schaefer
A phone report came 2-23-06 of a blue perch caught in Big Lake, MN (near Cass Lake).
My name is Al and I live in new London Wisconsin. I fish Lac Seul near Ear Falls every summer and have caught three blue walleyes there in the past five years. The first one was 14 inches on June 20, 2000 which I had mounted for my office. Then this past summer on July, 12, 2005, my son and I caught two more blue walleyes within 10 minutes of each other. One was 10 inches and the other was only 8 inches. I have pictures of the smaller one being held up to a similar sized regular colored fish. If interested, email me for the digital photos at ajbrant@athenet.net
Hi My name is Chad. When I was a Fish and Wildlife student at the U of MN in the late 90's a coworker asked me if I would be interested in seeing some blue walleyes. He showed me pictures from the mid 80's where he caught several blue walleyes. I asked in our fisheries dept and checked the journals and found the old info on the Great Lake pike, but no info on the Walleye. My professors also had not heard of anything.
The protein... is it a true blue pigment or is the light being diffracted?
I will contact my old coworker and see if he can tell me the lakes where he caught the fish.
roundrivercop@hotmail.com
My name is Mike Stark from southern Minnesota. In late July & early August our fishing group caught several blue walleye in the 14" to 18" range. We were fishing Kashishibog Lake eastnortheast of Armstrong Station, Ontario Canada. Our outfitter was Due North Outposts. The blue slime would wipe off. All of these fish were in very good health.
Mike: Thanks for the sighting near Armstrong. We will add it to our data base. Good fishing!
Wayne Schaefer
Jeff Oberman - Excelsior, MN We have caught many blue walleyes over 20+ years fishing in Sand Point and Namakan Lakes, MN. Caught all sizes up to 28 inches. Sent skin samples to Matt Straw at In Fisherman Magazine 3 years ago who was also doing similar research. It is rare if we do not catch at least a couple every fishing trip to these lakes.
Hi Jeff: Thanks for the sightings in Minnesota. We would like to find someplace to get the blue slime of these fish south of the Canadian boarder. Your report is helpful. Good fishing!
Wayne Schaefer
I'm Brett from Pittsville, Wisconsin and my fishing party has routinely caught the blue walleyes on our yearly trip to North Wind Lake near Beardmore, Ontario Canada. We catch several each year and we have been going since 1993. We have caught them in all sizes from 15-21 inches and they seem to be larger and more agressive than the normal walleyes we catch. Never thought much about it until I saw your article in the Wisconsin Outdoor News. Email me if you have questions.
brettrademan@hotmail.com
My name is Terry and I have caught several blue walleye from the Michigamme Reservoir in Iron County, Mansfield Township, Michigan. They are lighter in color than those in your photos. I believe I have a digital photo of a small one caught in 2004. Most fish are between 12 and 18 inches. I can be reached at thegeman@new.rr.com.
Dr. Schaefer
I read your article in Wisconsin Outdoor News about the blue Walleye of Canada. We were fishing on a fly-in on Weese Lake in June of 2005. This is north, and a little east of Armstrong, Canada. We caught many of the blue walleye (at the time we thought they were black). As I remember, we didn't catch any walleyes of natural color.
We have fished in many lakes in Canada since 1968, and had never caught any dark (or blue) walleye! Also, we fished Lac Seul, and the Red Lake area near Ear Falls without catching the Blue Walleye.
Thanks!
Del
Cadott, WI
Hi Del: Thanks for your sighting near Armstrong. We have received more sightings from the Armstrong area than anyplace else. We will add your sighting to our data base. Good fishing.
Wayne Schaefer
We have been catching walleyes which have blue mucous for a number of years in the Marchington River near Savant Lake Ontario
Bruce Benson
Hello. My name is Chris Baenen from Pound, WI. I just read the article by Lee Kernen in the Wisconsin Outdoor News about blue walleye. While I never saw a blue walleye, I have noticed walleye with the blue slime, exactly like Mike in Hayward explained. It usually developes after the fish has been on the ice a while, and it turns the snow blue. If you need samples of this, let me know.
cbaenen2@hotmail.com
Dear Dr. Schaefer, My father has been traveling to Ontario CA. for past 35 years and I have been going for last 18 years. We have been catching blues there on a regular basis for the entire time we have been going. I have a blue mounted that was caught on the Steel river chain of lakes located north of Longlac Ontario Ca. that weighed 12lbs 8 oz and is 34 inches in length, it was caught during the first week of the Canadian Walleye season in 1998. We go every year to the the same chain of lakes and catch some Blues almost every year. I have pictures of my mount and would be happy to give you any other info you need for your research. Please feel free to contact me, Scott
Hi Scott: Thanks for your sighting report. Your Dad e-mailed me also and I did forward him the article in Wisconsin Outdoor News. Your help is appreciated.
Wayne Schaefer
In 1993 several of us fished Grayson Lake (North and a little West of Lake Nipigon) in Ontario with Northern Wilderness Outfitters. We were told that there were "blue" walleye in the lake and we caught many of them along with a slightly yellow bellied type. Both had very dark or black backs. We typically used spinner rigs so I made up some with blue spinners and they were the hot baits up there.
Some of us used white cotton gloves to remove the hooks and the gloves took on a blue color. I have some pictures of the two colors of fish side by side if you want to see them.
Larry (Ldrippe@aol.com)
My name is Mike and Live in Waconia Mn. in 2002 and 2004 I was fishing in Ontario and caught several blue walleyes. I have pictures that show the blue color which is very pronounced on the pictures. 1 measured 27.5 inches caught in 2004 and the other was 25.5 inches caught in 2002. We caught several other as well that were in the 16 inch range.
Hi Mike. Thanks for the information. We will post it with our data log. Good fishing. Wayne Schaefer
Hi, my name is Jerry and I just read your article Wisconsin Outdoor News. In July of 2004, I caught a "blue" yellow perch from Lake Poygan in Winnebago County (WI). The fish was 9" long and has since been mounted. Also have pictures. Hope this helps.
September, 2005. Richardson Lake, Ontario, about 200 miles straight north of Fort Frances, Ontario, we caught about ten blue walleyes and several small northerns that appeared to have the blue tint also. The blue is an emerald blue, so dark as to be almost purple. Most of the walleyes were 16 to 18 inches. Didn't notice any of the slime you mention.
Hi Jerry: Thanks for your sighting on Lake Poygan. We will add it to our data base. You may want to check out this article that appeared yesterday in the St.Paul Pioneer Press about blue perch. Good fishing
http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/sports/outdoors/14117606l.htm
Wayne Schaefer 3-21-06
Dear Anonymous: Thanks for your sighting on Richardson Lake. We received another report from Richardson Lake yesterday. Who was your outfitter? Could you give us your direct e-mail address? Thanks and good fishing.
Wayne Schaefer
I have been catching Blue walleye for three or four years on Lake Wapesi in Ontario CAN. The fish are not slimy or coated in any way, just a beautiful blue almost aqua color. Strong coloration not faint. The fish are schooled together alomst as if they are being ignored by other walleye. No sign of damage by possibly being picked on, just seperate from normal coloration fish. They taste the same and are really healty. Same size as the normal color fish. The outfitter is Northwood Outpost in Ste. Lookout.
My name is Steve and I live in Fort Atkinson, WI. in June of 1985 I caught a brilliant blue perch. It was caught on Pellican Lake in Orr, Mn.
Hi I'm a long-time resident outdoorsman from thunder bay. I have fished the Pishidgi-Wabinosh (NWlknipigon) system for a few years. We landed many blue "eyes" with varying colour amounts. One strange thing was that there seemed to be a much higher concentration of blues, in Wabinosh, as opposed to the river and lk Pishidgi. Also sauger were present.
I own Andy's Graystone Camp which is located on highway #599, 53 miles north of Ignace, Ontario.
Many of the lakes in our area produce some Blue Walleye. We have been fishing a small lake which we call Curiosity. It is fished on a catch & release policy as the lake is full of Blue Walleye. We have video of many Blue Walley being caught as well as some photos.
Dear Anonymous: Thanks for your sighting on the Pishidgi-Wabinosh System. We will add it to our data base. If you give us an e-mail address, we will add that for the benefit of other fishermen. Good fishing. Wayne Schaefer
Dear Russ Baker: Thank you for the information on blue walleye in "Curiosity Lake". With your permission, we will add it to our data base. We may want to visit your camp and see the fish first hand, if we ever get a few days. Meanwhile, please accept my wishes for a good summer season.
Wayne Schaefer
Dear Steve in Ft. Atkinson: Thank you for the sighting of a blue perch in Pelican Lake, MN. We will add it to our data base. Good fishing. Wayne Schaefer
Dear Anonymous: Thank you for your sighting of blue walleye in Lake Wapesi and for the written description of the fish. We will add it to our data base. Good fishing. Wayne Schaefer
You may want to check with the WDNR. There is a rumor going around that they shocked a few blue walleye in Spring 2006 in Lake Delevan which is almost to the Illinois border... wish I had more info for you.
Ah, I found it. Here is the link. http://www.channel3000.com/news/8942812/detail.html
Ah, I found it. Here is the link. http://www.channel3000.com/news/8942812/detail.html
I live in Thunder Bay, ON and for the last two years I have been catching blue walleye in the Black Sturgeon River ranging in size from 13" to 22".
My name is mike and I live in Thunder Bay Ontario. Last spring I went on a flyin fishing trip to a lake called Grayson lake, North of Armstrong through the outfitter OGOKI FRONTIER. We were there for seven days and I would say that 9o% of the walleye caught were blue. We have also gone to other lakes with the same outfitter and have caught hundreds of blue walleye over the years.
have caught blue walleye in Siwash Lake south east of Longlac Ontario
Live in Thunder bay Ont.Have fished a small lake up the Spruce river road ,(about two an half hr. drive).fished this lake for number years and always caught blue pickeral and even some small perch that were all blue.
By the way the water very dark and murky,enquired at the M.N.R about the blue in the fish and was told that it was something the water causing it.
Thank You
My name is frank and i live in thunder bay ontario.I have two lakes that i fish in the summer,with blue pickeral.The only one thing that is differnt,is that the fish in one lake, the meat inside is red like salmon and the other is white.Just a little note that mite interest you.
I just want to thank each of you who have sent in a sighting of blue walleye. We catalog each sighting and are in the process of creating a map showing all the sightings. We worked the walleye spawn in northwestern Ontario during the first two weeks of May this year to see if both yellow and blue walleye spawn at the same time and in the same place. The blues appear to have spawned a little later. Please keep the sightings coming. Your help is appreciated. Dr. Wayne Schaefer, 5-17-06.
No blue walleye sightings but I did a lot of perch fishing in Lake Winnebago off of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin during the 70's and 80's. During this time period I caught 3 or 4 blue perch. They tended to run smaller than the average "green" perch we were catching during this time period and were probably around 8 inches long. I had one of these fish mounted in Appleton and still have it on my wall. These blue perch were much different in color than the normal perch and were definitely blue. Of course the mounted fish is blue because of the taxidermist. Pictures available on request.
Bob at ROBERTPEGGY_5@msn.com
My name is Steve from Tigerton, WI. I fish Lac Seul near Ear Falls , Onterio. We often catch blue walleyes. The largest to date was a 26 inch which I have a picture. The blue walleye are mixed in with the normal colored walleye. I will try to keep some data on my trips this summer (size & weight) and get back to you. I felt that the blue walleye ran a little smaller in girth, but I will watch a little closer this year.
Hi Steve. Thanks for the sighting from Lac Seul. We would appreciate any whole blue walleye you might catch from Lac Seul. Please check for the presence or absence of blue pigment in the mucus of the fish and keep us informed. Thank you and good fishing. Wayne Schaefer
Denis Landry, Terrace Bay Ont,
There are many lakes in this area with blue walleye. The best known is Steel Lake. There are the standard yellow walleye in this lake as well. The slime stains the snow much like ink from a fountain pen. ( very vivid blue)The 2 types do not seem to school together and generally the blues do not grow as large. Also Hydro Bay in Lake Superior has blue walleye. In the spring standard walleye are caught by commercial fisherman but in the fall blue walleye are taken when nets are targeted towards spawning Lake Trout.
Hi Denis. Thanks for the information about the Steel River area. I was hopeful that the blue walleye there might be more closely related to the extinct blue pike of Lake Erie since they represent a Great Lake's population. However there is no report in the literature that the extinct blue pike had blue in their slime as you have noted and as we have seen in Canada. Thanks for the information. Wayne Schaefer
I am not sure if the walleye in Lake Superior have the slime or not as I have not personally seen these fish. I will have to ask the commercial fisherman I know. The slime I was refering to comes from fish in the Steel River chain as well as other lakes in the area. The commercial fisherman is of the opinion that the 2 types in Lake Superior demonstrate different behavior. If there is a place where the blue pike still exist it would be Lake Superior or perhaps Lake Nipigon.
walleyeguy@hotmail.com
Hi Walleyeguy. Thanks for the information. We almost made a trip to the Steel River this summer to see if the walleye had blue in their slime. Your report saved us some time and money. Please contact us again if you get any new information. Wayne Schaefer
I caught a 7.5 lb blue walleye length 26.5 in on August 9, 2006 in the Lower Niagara River on the Canadian side. The Lower Niagara River enters Lake Ontario.
Dear Anonymous: The blue walleye you caught in the Niagra River is very important! Please leave contact information. Please call me on my cell phone at 262-893-4197 or e-mail me directly at wayne.schaefer@uwc.edu. Thanks.
Wayne Schaefer
Hello I just read your article in Outdoor Canada October issue about the Blue Walleye.
First off, I only ice fish for walleye on 1 single lake.
The lake:
Mississippi Lake
Closest Town:
Carleton Place, Ontario, Canada.
County:
Lanark County
I have noticed for a few years now that most walleye caught have come out with blue slime on their dorsal fin, back and tail. It is usually very noticeable. One thing that has also been noticed is that we only see it in walleye 15+ inches. I have not noticed the blue slime in any smaller fish.
I have multiple pictures available if you would like them.
All Blue Walleye caught looked perfectly healthy.
Colouring on 99% was typical golden with the blue slime noticed on the fins. Only one caught was the pale colour shown in the magazine article.
Feel free to contact me via email, andrew_leger@mitel.com
My name is Graeme Cameron and I am an avid angler from Toronto Ontario. In July 2004 I caught a 35 3/4" walleye with a girth of 18". This fish was approx 14 Lbs and it was caught on Gowganda Lake approx 1 hr west of New Liskard Ontario. This fish was caught on a deep running Rapala in about 80' of water running at a depth of 20'. It was dusk when the fish hit and I was convinced it was a Lake Trout, as per location on the water and strength.
The fish was very healthy and aggressive. The mucus was deep blue and ran the entire length of the fish on the back only. I had a replica created of this beast.
my name is john and live in welland ont.we have caught numerous BLUE WALLEYE from northern Quebec,lac opemiska, West arm of Lake nippissing, to the lower Niagara river,I don't think it is such a rare occurance as one might think.
Hi Graeme: Thanks for you sighting of a hugh blue walleye. This is the first report of a blue walleye suspended in deep water. We will add this to our data base. Good fishing. Wayne Schaefer
Dear John: Thank you for your reports of blue walleye. When was the last time you caught one in the lower Niagra River. We would love to find a viable population of the "extinct" blue pike which once inhabited the Niagra River. If you ever catch another one there, please freeze it and contact me. Thanks and good fishing. Wayne Schaefer
My name is Geoff from Toronto, Ontario. Once a year I go on a fly-in trip with Caesars lodge in Quebec. Last year we went to one of their lakes called Gilberte lake. During the course of the week we caught over 100 walleye. All of them were blue ranging from 1 to 3 lbs. None of the walleye we caught had any golden colouring in them. They all had blue backs and their bellies were a silvery white. We took several pictures and I can send them on request
My name is Zac I live in Southern ontario but fish mostly in lake restoule which is just south of lake nippising, my family and i have caught many blue walleye in restoule as well as burnt lake, biggest ones this year being around 21-23 inches. often they are caught at the same time regular colour walleye are caught, my email is guitardude_15@hotmail.com i can probably get some pictures to you if you need them.
During the winter of 2004 we caught approximately 10 walleye in a lake approximately 20 miles north of Deschambeault Lake, SK., when we put the fish on the snow we noticed that they turned the snow blue. When we caught walleye in a lake only 300 meters away they were not blue. All fish were around the two pound range. The lake was a shallow, narrow lake that was more like a river and was surrounded by muskeg. The water was very murky when compared to the lake nearby.
Name: Michael J. Bonnin
Lake: Kipawa Lake
GPS:
Town/City: Kipawa
Province: Quebec
Country: Canada
Lodge: Kipawa Lodge
#caught: To numerous to mention
Date of Catch: 1987-2006 May to Oct.
Email: bevbike@yahoo.ca
Comments: Good luck in your research, please conntact me for infromation on my experiences. I have numerous pictures and stories to share.
Name: Matt Pritz
Lake: Gouin Resevoir, Baie Sud
GPS (optional):
Town/City: Clova
State/Providence: Quebec
Country: Canada
Outfitter/Lodge (optional): Tamarac
Number Caught: 5
Average Size (inches): 2-3 Lb
Date Caught (month/day/year): 09-11-05
Email: mpritz@adeptron.com
Additional Comments : Have caught many Blue Walleye since 1996 in lakes and resevoirs located in western and central Quebec. They have almost become a regular occurrence.
We are the owners of Camp Missanabie on Dog Lake a boat-in resort out of Missanabie, Ontario. We have seen a definate increase (especially the last 3yrs) in the population of various colored walleyes including; typical, black, blue, & greenish. They all vary in size, no one color is a particular size. We haven't been aware of any "staining" from the blues, but we will definately be monitoring that possibility in 2007. We have noticied that the coloration does fade rapidly (just laying on the fish cleaning table). Also, we have not noticied any difference in preference of lures, common habitat, nor flavor of the fish. In our lodge, we have yellow, blue, & green walleye mounts.
Hi... My name is Bob, and every year during the first week of June I fish for walleye in Nagasin Lake, some 12 miles south west of the town of Chapleau, in north eastern Ontario.In 2004 I caught my fist blue walleye... throw it back, thought something was wrong with the fish.
This year, 2006, caught another, kept it, cleaned it, and ate it, all was fine. I have a picture if you want. The fish were about 1 and 1/2 pounds and about 16 or 18 inches in length.
I do not recall any "slime" on the fish, but it did lose some color on the fish stringer before I cleaned it.
Hi Geoff from Toronto. Thanks for your sighting of blue walleye at Ceasars lodge in Quebec. We have now received several sightings from northwestern Quebec indicating that blue walleye are very common there. We will add your sighting to our data base. We are interested mapping the distribution of blue walleye in that area and wecome any additional comments. How far south do blue walleye go in Quebec? Good fishing. Wayne Schaefer
Dear Anonymous. Thank you for you sighting of blu e walleye near Deschambeault Lake, SK. We will add it to our data base. We have very little information from SK and would appreciate any additional information, particularly related to the southern limit of blue walleye there. Good fishing. Wayne Schaefer
Dear Mike: Thank for our sighting of blue walleye at Kipawa Lake, Quebec. Any digital photos or stories you have would be appreciated. Good fishing. Wayne Schaefer
Hi Matt: Thank you for your sighting of blue walleye in the Gouin Reservoir area. We will add your sighting to our data base. The first published data on blue walleye in Quebec came from that area two years ago. We are are interested in learning the southern limit of blue walleye distrbution in Quebec. Good fishing. Wayne Schaefer
Dear Camp Missanabie. Thank you for your sighting of blue and green walleye in Dog Lake and for your thoughtful comments. We will add your location to our data base. The only Green walleye I have seen have come from the southeastern area of Lake Winnipeg where they are called Greenbacks. I have personally caught them and done skin scrapings. There is no color in their slime. We would be very interested in your blue and green walleye to see if there is color in the slime. We would also appreciate tissue samples of both blue and green walleye - a fin clip of a pectoral fin would work. The fin could be preserved in ethyl alcohol (vodka also) and sent to my University. My direct e-mail address is wayne.schaefer@uwc.edu. We would do DNA analysis of the tissue. Please accept my best wishes for a good upcoming season next year. Wayne Schaefer
Hi Bob: Thanks for your sighting of blue walleye in Nagasin Lake near Chapleau. We will add it to our data base. Yes, we would appreciate a picture. Good fishing. Wayne Schaefer
What about stocking Blue Walleye? Would this be a viable option? I'd like to see them in Lake Huron someday.
Thanks
Greg Fleury
Hearst, ontario
The blue walleye we caught are in a lake north east of Hearst called Wanzitika Lake.We caught various sizes of blue walleye all looked extremely healthy.Laying the walleye on the snow left, a blue like tinge which was amazing to see ! The strange thing was we only caught them in one area of the lake . This lake is only accessible in the winter, hope to get pictures and samples for you soon, as the ice is in !!!
my name is roger my friend and i have a pic of two walleye caught same hour same depth and within a twenty foot area from lady evelyn lake in ontario go to walleyehunter.com check message board for pic of blue walleye post awesome fish over 12 lbs
Justin from Fox Lake, WI
Go to Lake-Link.com and you'll see a picture of a blue perch a guy caught out of Fox Lake, don't know the size or date.
http://www.lake-link.com/fishreports/viewposts.cfm?ThreadID=30381
For the picture:
http://www.lake-link.com/boards/large_photo.cfm?Photo=BluePerch-1_021507214833.jpg&Referrer=/fishreports/viewposts.cfm
Wayne, your article in Outdoor Canada was interesting. I always thought I was catching a different species of Walleye. Have caught plenty in Lake Wabagishik(part of the Vermillion river system) just outside of Nairn Centre, Ontario. Good luck in your research.
Hi my name is Richard from HEARST,ONTARIO, CANADA.On July 29th of 2006 I caught a 17'' blueish walleye in Lake Pivabiska north of Hearst. I thought the fish was sick so I decided to show it to my dad. My livewell water was turning blueish in colour. When my dad saw the walleye he said 'oh, you caught a blue walleye.' I had never seen one before. My dad later mentioned that they used to catch lots of them when he was younger on this chain of lakes. We released it a little later on.
Nemogosenda lake near Foleyet Canada is full of these critters. There are blue as well as black walleyes in this lake. I also noticed a little blue color on the gill plates of Smallmouth bass in this lake.
Hi Richard: Thanks for your sighting on Lake Pivabiska. We will add it to our data base.
Wayne Schaefer
Hi Del: We have never had a report of blue on smallmouth bass. If you catch another smallmouth on Lake Nemogosenda, please do a skin scraping with a knife to see if any blue color comes off as it does in blue walleye. Please leave your e-mail address next time. Thanks.
Wayne Schaefer
Caught several of the blue walleye at Elbow Lake, Nakina, Canada just this past week. We have also caught them at Dawn Lake in Armstrong. Beautiful fish.
Dear Anonymous: Thank you for your sighting at Elbow Lake. We will add it to our data base. Good fishing. Wayne Schaefer
Hi, I too have caught a Blue Walleye out of Lake Restoule in Ontario around 1994. It was caught near a small island called Ma's Island in 14' of water. I've caught at least 100 other Walleye out of the lake and they all have had a very Gold hugh. I remember thinking how strange the fish was, and it didn't appear to be a Sauger or a Saugeye, nor do I believe either of these fish are in the lake. The distinct white spot was on the bottom of the tail though. Hope this helps with your data.
We just returned from a trip to Bow Lake with Canoe Canada outfitters out of Attikocan, CA Out of the hunderds of fish caught that week at least %60 where Blue Walleye! And I mean Blue! We have many pictures and are tring to find out what a Blue Walleye really is. The water in the area even has a slite blue tint. I have fished many different Lakes in Ontario and have only caught one other blue walleye. What are they? A different strane of walleye? They are really cool fish and fight more like a cross between a small mouth bass and a walleye. The lake was always a good small mouth lake but now it seems that the blue walley has taken over. We caught only a handfull of bass but lots of blues.
My name is Steve Rathbun I live in Gibraltar, Mi. I caught a blue perch in Brighton, Mi. on Dec.23, 2007. The landlocked lake was stocked with perch 10 years ago. The perch had a blue color on the dorsal fin and in the stripes. The body was a pink/white color. I did not notice the blue slime present. I compaired it to a yellow perch caught that day and the blue perch had double the stripes of the yellow. The 10" female had eggs and was healthy.
I just got done talking with Dick Bassing from Minneapolis since I read about his catch of a blue perch. I caught one last year that I am listing here as a "sighting".
Name: Jason Grahek
Lake: Pokegama (Itasca County)
GPS (optional):
Town/City: Grand Rapids
State/Providence: MN
Country: USofA
Outfitter/Lodge (optional):
Number Caught: 1
Average Size (inches): 9"
Date Caught (month/day/year): March 2007
Email: jgrahek898@msn.com
Additional Comments : I have a picture of it and I released the fish back in the lake.
hey wayne. my name is neal and i live in northern ontario. ive been fishing the north shore of lake superior and inland for about the last 20 years. over that time i've seen many blue walleye in various lakes. I've never noticed any behavorial differences in the fish. Since your the expert on the topic you may already know this, but anyway. As a kid I remeber catching my first blue walleye. I remember asking some of the local old timers about it. There response was something along the lines of the blue pigment in the walleye is from a couple different factors. One being that the sediment in some lakes contains natural mercury, two being that a lot of paper mills used to dump used mercury from the paper making process in the ground and fence off the area, so this mercury has to end up somewhere, and three being from pollutions from paper mills and mines. I've noticed that in the last 5 years or so blue walleye have become more and more common. I'm not a scientist but you must agree that as time goes on pollution become greater. and also i know of a lake that contains blue pike, i'm not sure if there the "extinct blue pike" because to my knowledge i've never seen one, but this lake is a tributary to lake superior, so i guess anything is possible. If you'd like some further information, feel free to contact me. also if you have a website with your findings and results i'd like to check it out. keep your lines tight!!!
Neal
Hi Neal: Thanks for the great information on the north shore region. We also have noted an increase in the number of blue walleye in recent years. We believe the blue pigment in the mucous may be caused by increased exposure of the fish to ultaviolet radiation coming from the sun. UV is normally blocked from hitting the earth by ozone in the upper atmosphere. Air pollution (CFCs) has created an ozone hole over both the north and south pole. Blue walleye may be another "canary in the cave" indicating the presence of air pollution.
The "blue pike" of Lake Erie were really a walleye, not a northern pike. We would love to find a remnant population in a tributary of the Great Lakes! Please send me your e-mail address. Mine is wayne.schaefer@uwc.edu.
Good Fishing, Wayne Schaefer
anonymous.... i was fishing a lake in northeastern south dakota today catching yellow perch. a friend of mine said that he caught a fish out of this lake that he wasnt sure what it was it looked like a perch but it didnt have stripes and it was silverish blue in collor. i fished from 2pm to 530pm and did catch 2 of these fish he descrived
Hello Wayne and good fishin', my name is John and I just ran across your postings after I just caught a male 24" 5.5 lb. (13" girth) walleye yesterday (02-16-08) and it had blue slime on the dorsal fin and tail fins. When wiped with a paper towel, it looked just like blue ink on the towel. A couple of hours earlier I caught a 22" female walleye about 20 yards away from the male, and no blue slime. These walleye were introduced to the lake 3 and a half years ago. The lake is approx. 120 acres in size with depths from 4' to 28',average depth is 8'-10'. The lake is located in northern Oakland county in Michigan. It is now a private lake and was formerly known as Dennis Lake.
Hi John: Thanks for your sightings in northern Michigan. The blue color does seem to moving south! Can you give us GPS coordinates (or the name of a nearby town) for the lake so we can more accurately add it to our data base? Those were some big walleye for a small lake. Keep puttin back the big ones to keep the lake healthy. Good fishing.
Walleye Wayne
Fished many years out of Longlac Ont. - a lake Northeast(just off Hwy 11) of Longlac called Proctor has lots of Blue Walleye. 18- 21 inches in very good shape. Over the years I would say we have caught over 100 Blues from this lake.
Dear Anonymous: Thank you for your sighting on Proctor Lake. We will add it to our data base. Good fishing. Wayne Schaefer
I have seen Northern Pike that was blue.The blue Northern Pike was cought in 2007 near Hudson Ontario
My name is Sylwester Kiepek (807)582 -3365
I have taken blue Northern Pike to Local Ministry of Natural Resources and did not hear any thing from them.
Also I have caught blue walleye about 10 years ago on Pelican Lake near Sioux Lookout
Dear Sylvester: Thank you for your sighting of blue walleye and blue northern. Usually blue walleye and blue northern have no yellow pigment in their skin. It is a genetic mutation. The blue color in the slime of walleye, we believe, is related to increased UV radiation hitting the earth in northern regions. Good fishing.
Wayne Schaefer
Name: Dale Westaby. I'm 21 years of age and currently work at a sticker factory in La Crosse, WI. I began college in '05, but never finished due to not being able to test out. I still have a huge passion for the science and biology field.
Lake: I'm not quite sure at the moment. I caught this fish three years ago in Ontario, Canada. It was from a Lake not too far away from Pasha Lake. The blue walleyes were about 43% of the walleye population according to the two days we fished the lake. I just think we lucked out on good habitat structures. I remember the Lodge owner scolding us for keeping them while explaining how few there are these days in the lakes.
Outfitter Pasha Lake Cabins
Number Caught: The first day the weather was extremely ideal and we caught around 25 blue walleyes between the 4 of us in the boat. We went back the second day because I wanted one to mount. It was poor weather conditions so we only caught 3 blue walleyes and 15 golden walleyes. But we were only fishing for a few hours the second day.
Average size: I would have to say the sizes range for blue walleyes were from 13 inches to 22 inches with most being on the lower end of the scale. We culled a larger average for golden walleyes from that lake. I'm guessing since it was 3 years ago, but I would have to say the size range of the golden walleyes were 12iches-26inches with most being in the 17inch class.
Date Caught June 05
Email: DEwestaby@aol.com
Questions Are you ever going to add a gallery to your website of the compiled photos you have received over the years? I would like to see that.
Comments:
-I have yet to mount the blue walleye I kept the second day. It's a 19inch fish. I'm getting it mounted this spring, which is now. Which led me to your website today. I'm just doing some research to present to the mounter so he can get a better understanding on how to airbrush the fish correctly.
-Since we caught so many the first day, we all agreed on some common observations. We noticed that while the fish was fought and reeled in, they appeared to be the most blue. Once in the boat and being handled, the would lose there blue tint and photograph very poorly, looking dingy and silver. We just assumed it was the fish being stressed out.
-We also noticed the blue walleye gill plates,(cheeks), varied from a bluish metallic hue, to a metallic purple. The cheeks were more purple after we caught them. We also just assumed it was a result of the fish being stressed out.
-We also noticed that the blue walleyes had a very receded white tip on the tail, unlike the bold white tips on a typical golden walleye. It was usually just a faded grey-ish white stripe only along the bottom of the tail. Some of the blue walleyes didn't have white tips on the tail at all.
-Sadly, I used a digital camera and I didn't save many photos. I do have a few with me holding the blue walleye in the live well against a golden walleye. I put them on photobucket.om years ago and stumbled upon them the other day while browsing my photo archives, which reminded me that I have the fish in my freezer yet to be mounted! ha
-When I first brought home the blue walleye, I did my web research. I quickly self concluded that my walleye wasn't 'Sander vitreus glaucus,' but most likely a color morph of Sander vitreus vitreus, or atleast a hybrid. Until today, I was not aware about the blue pigment being in the mucus, which could rule out my color morph theory. Lucky for you, I'm home sick and decided to stumble upon your website. I read and enjoyed the content of this website. The information on difference in genetics of Canadian Blue walleyes and Lake Erie Blue walleyes only confirms that mine isn't a true blue. I earlier confirmed it as a non true blue walleye when I read an article on the placement of the eyes. I didn't make such observations while catching them so I only have these few pictures in the live well to compare.
HERE are the links to some photos. be excited. :) I would be, I'm really into this kind of stuff. Although my hobby is more crayfish related. If you know anyone with who know of locations for P. Gracilis populations in Wisconsin. Email me. :) OH, and feel free to use my photos on your website.
http://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y68/kingalbert296/?action=view¤t=MVC-158F.jpg
http://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y68/kingalbert296/?action=view¤t=MVC-157F.jpg
http://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y68/kingalbert296/?action=view¤t=MVC-159F.jpg
Oh and if you like genetics in general, I have a crayfish photo Album. My main hobby for fun is catching crayfish and recording variations. :) Here is a link to my album.
http://s16.photobucket.com/albums/b14/dewcrayfish/
Here's a link to some of my favorite catches. Mostly Color Morphs and Hybrids.
http://s16.photobucket.com/albums/b14/dewcrayfish/Amphibians%20Fish%20Etc/Dales%20Favorite%20Catches/
Cheers,
Dale Euegene Westaby
DEwestaby@aol.com
1-608-386-7891
OH! this is dale again. I just thought you would like this photo of a blue bluegill. I caught on Pool 8 of the Mississippi River, June 06.
http://s12.photobucket.com/albums/a235/kingalbert299/?action=view¤t=asfegheqhj.jpg
http://s12.photobucket.com/albums/a235/kingalbert299/?action=view¤t=DSCN9316.jpg
cheers,
Dale Euegene Westaby
Hello, my name is Garry I live in Thunder Bay, ON, Canada and work at Lac Des Iles mine north of Thunder Bay. I've caught 2 Blue Walleyes in the past few years, dates can't remember, however I just learned of your website in the Ontario Out of Doors magazine recently issued. I've caught one in the Spruce River (summer), looked purple rather than blue absolutely stunning to look at. Rinker Lake (winter)was the other spot, they were 12"-14" and I've heard lots of Blues being caught in this area by other anglers.
My name is Justin im from north east ontario..there r quite a few lakes here with blue eyes in them i caught a number of them over the past long weekend got a 10 lb 31 inch lagest one so far lots of 22' to 26' all around here if anyone need info e-mail me at big_j85@hotmail.com!thanks!i got lays of pics!
This is Chad and Jacquie from North Bay, Ontario. On May 20 we caught a blue walleye in Lake Nipissing off Cherry Point. It measured about 19 inches and was roughly 3 1/2 - 4 lbs.
Hi Chad and Jacquie: Thanks for your report from Lake Nipissing. We would like a tissue sample of any blue walleye caught in Lake Nipissing. Did you keep the fish? If so, could we get some scales or tissue? Did you get a picture of the fish? What is your direct e-mail address? Thanks. Please e-mail me directly at wayne.schaefer@uwc.edu
Wayne Schaefer
My name is Rick. I caught a blue walleye in Ivanhoe Lake near Foleyet in Northern Ontario about an hour west of Timmins. It was about 12" long. The fish was caught on June 14, 2008.
My name is jim I live in Omaha Nebraska, On June 12, 2008 I caught a 17" Blue Walleye in Sac. Canada on Lake Kipanhagan. I have pictures of the fish. I cut part of the lower fin for DNA purposes and released the fish alive. The fish was a male in good health.
No slime present
My name is Joey Beaupre and I live in Burlington, Ontario. A coworker of mine sent me a link from wikipedia stating that the blue walleye was extinct. I immediately responded that we have caught them numerous times in Quebec however none have been worthy of taking picture's of. I just got back from our yearly trip and took a picture of the only one we could keep as it was over the 12" requirement. Please contact me at joey_beaupre@hotmail.com if you require a jpeg or additional details.
My name is Mike and I live Exeter Ontario. The week of June 28th through July 5, my two sons, 22 other guys and myself where on a fishing trip to Whitewater Lake. We went through Mattice Lake Outfitters out of Armstrong. i have been up there the last 10 years and I must say this is the first time i have seen a blue Walleye. There three caught on our trip, but i personally caught a 22" one and really didn't know what it was until I asked the camp attendant. I do have a picture of the fish if anyone is interested.
My name is Don. I caught 2blue walleye on Packwash Lake near Ear Falls, Ontario. One was caught the week of July 7/08 and the other was caught on July 19/08. They were both between 16 and 18 inches. Both fish were mixed in with the other walleyes. We're spending a lot of time out there this summer so if I catch anymore I will get some pictures.
my name is gerry Carlson I live in Dryden ont . was fishing rainylake at mouth of porters inlet. Wher I caught a thirten inch blue walleye . never seen one before. I caught many fish that day which was monday july 21 about ll am . first time ever seen one and I fish a lot .never kept fish.
My name is Dennis and I have a cottage on Hay Lake just south of Whitney, Ontario. I caught my first blue walleye on July 25/08, which was 18 inches. I was shocked at the catch as I have never seen a blue walleye before. I only knew what it was as I have just read the May 2008 issue of Ontario Out of Doors which had an article about the blue walleye. I examined the fish to discover that the only difference to the yellow walleye was the blue colour. The eyes, fin and everything else was the same. We released the fish after examining it thoroughly. We asked other cottagers in the area if they had ever caught or seen the blue walleye and they were as surprised as myself.
Dear Dennis: Thank you for you sighting on Hay Lake. We will add it to our data base. Good fishing. Doc Schaefer
Hi. My name is Susan Seek, and I think I caught a blue Walleye on Wabigoon Lake in Northern Ontario. It was 16 inches long, and didn't look anything like the greener one's that we caught. I took a picture of it with the other fish we caught. We have caught them before in the same lake, but didn't know untill today that there was a study going on. From now on we will be releasing them when we catch them.
Name: Tanner
Lake: Otukamamoan (Trout) Lake
GPS (optional):
Town/City: Rainy River Area / Fort Francis
State/Providence: Ontario
Country: Canada
Outfitter/Lodge (optional): Point O' Pines
Number Caught: 2
Average Size (inches): 15"
Date Caught (month/day/year): July 23-25
Email: kozmund@gmail.com
Additional Comments : We mentioned the blue coloring to the fellow that trapped and delivered our minnows and he actually gave us a fairly accurate summary of your research.
My Name is Steve Ellis, I live near and fish the Ottawa river regularly, Last night while fishing Off Petawawa in the Ottawa I caught a blue walleye, I had never seen one before but remembered an article I had read in Ontario out of doors about your reserch. The fish was small about 12" but very plump. However I let it go and had no camara. Today I spoke with a few local walleye fanatics who have never heard of such a thing. This fish was very blue, even witrhout holding it next to others I kept, it was clearly blue. It was slightly over 1.25 Lbs and no evident slime at all, just blue from nose to tail.
Sorry no samples . If I ever come across another Ill be sure to get some.
hello im a grade 10 student and i was wondering if blue wallie are extinked id like you to send the population chart if u could to my email address at
chao_220@hotmail.com
plz if u can im trying to do this for a report in sience
Hello my name is Brian Ingmire. Email is treelinehunter@aol.com. I have caught several blue walleye in sandier throughout the Lake Kipawa region of Quebec -- including Lakes Ogascanan, Ostibonigue, Watson, Bat and Clement. Have caught them at various times over the past 20 years. Fish in size from 1 to 6 #'s all appeared to be healthy fish. I have pictures of several caught in the summer of 2007 from Lake Ogascanan, Quebec. Staining blue slime as indicated. One thing I have noticed is that the blue walleye are MUCH more common in my experience around sandy bottom lakes. Have a great day.
Hi Brian: Thank you for your sightings in Quebec. We will add them to our data base. The lakes we are sampling do not have much sand so your observations about blue walleye over sand are interesting. Good fishing! Wayne
Hi Steve Ellis: Your sighting in the Ottawa River is very interesting because that river connects to the St. Lawrence Seaway and back to Lake Ontario where extinct blue pike were originally located. We would love to find a living population of blue pike. If you ever get another one out of the Ottawa River, please freeze it. We would send out tissue samples from it for DNA analysis. Good fishing. Wayne
My name is john and i live in thorold ontorio.On Aug.07,12/2008, was fishing in lower niagara river with my friend jeff we caught many walleye. Two of them where blueeye's one was 5lb+ the other was 7lb+. Have photo's. e-mail address is jnawrot@cogeco.ca
My name is Greg and i live in canada this past september i went to my cottage and we were cathing blues off the point.through out the day it was half and half.half blue half yellow walleyes i remember telling my uncle when i was a kid that the walleye's we were cathing up north looked darker than the ones in the south that was over 15 years ago.the blues we caught were a bit smaller than the other walleye we caught that day.my cottage is in northern ontario it is part of the montreal river.
We have been traveling for the last 6 years to the wollaston lake area in Northern Saskatchewan. I would guestimate that in this time frame we have landed over 5000 walleye. Out of that number only 2 have been blue also to note is that the slime did bot appear to be blue but the fish itself. I have a pic of one of them with another walleye of the same are to contrast the color diff.
After reading some facts about the blue walleye and then looking backi at my pic i do believe the walleye in our pic has a slightly larger eye than a "normal" walleye.
Hello to everyone:
This is Curt from Montana. In July of 2008 A good friend of mine caught a blue walleye in Fort Peck Res. in Montana. We were prefishing for the Gov. Cup tourey when it was caught. The fish was 26.5" and weighed appox. 7.5# I sent pics to the Mt.Dept of Fish Wildlife & Parks. No one had ever seen anything like it. Although we did not scrape any of the blue off of it, it is exactly as you describe. Blue mainly on the back including the fins. I do have lots of pics. Any others in Montana?
cstene@northerntel.net for more info or to chat.
In September of 2006 we caught several walleye at Horwood Lake, west of Timmins, Ontario. These looked like regular yellow walleye with darker dorsal areas. The slime from these fish was a bright blue. Out of the hunreds of walleye that we caught only a dozen or so were like that. They were anywhere from 16-20inches long, 1 or 2 pounds.
We have been to that lake for the last 5 years and that (2006) was the only time I noticed any blue slimed fish.
This year (August 2009) we are going to Marten River, ON. to fish for a week. The owner of Marten River Lodge claims that one lake in the area contains blue pike. I'll believe that when I see it. I will try to gather slime and scale samples for you.
Brian Smead
Wadsworth, OH
bbsmead@hotmail.com
Hi Dr. Schaefer,
My name is Ward Eister and I live in Dryden Ontario in the summer. We, my self and fishing buddies, have caught blue Walleyes in most of the local lakes for at least 8 years now. They are not common in my lake, Dinorwic, but I catch a few every year. The lake is heavily stained. A few years ago, in '06, I fished Armit and Hill Lakes, north east of Sioux Lookout, with a group and a lot of the fish, maybe half, that we caught were blue. These lakes are fairly clear so your sun theory seems to have some credence. I had fished this lake several times before and never noticed this. The previous time we were there was in '03 and if there were any blue Walleyes then, they were rare. I can't speculate why they appeared. All the fish had blue mucus as I recall. You can reach me at wceister@aol.com
My brother caught a walleye with a bluish tint to it fishing in a shipping channel at the mouth of the Detriot river where it dumps into lake Erie(Gibralter Mi)I was directed here by posters on a Michigan hunting and fishing forum.We threw the fish back because we thought something was wrong with it.Was there something wrong with it?Should we keep another if we catch one and send it to you?e-mail me if your interested,we will go on a blue walleye hunt this spring,maybe we will get lucky--onenationhere@yahoo.com
Hi Chris: Thanks for you sighting in the Detroit River. We will add it to our data base. Nothing is wrong with a blue walleye. The blue color actually helps the fish. The fish are still good to eat. If you catch another one in the Detroit River, please do a skin scrapping with a knife. If there is no blue color in the mucous, keep the fish frozen and send us a scale sample for DNA analysis. Good fishing!
Wayne Schaefer
Hi Dr. Schaefer, We have been fishing the Souix Lookout are in Northwest Ontario and have caught and released many blue walleye. Some had just a blue hue But some were bright blue. The majority of the fish were smaller 12" to 15" but the bright blue ones were larger 18" to 21" and full of slime. We do have pictures of these fish for people who have never seen them before. As fisherman we consider it good luck to catch and release one.
Thank you,
Larry Mac
Hi Larry: Thanks for your sighting in the Sioux Lookout area. If you have the names of specific lakes or GPS coordinates, that always helps. Yes, we would appreciate you sending us any electronic photos of blue walleye. Good fishing. Wayne Schaefer
Hello, my name is Miquel, i lived in North Eastern Ontario all my life. It's not uncommon to catch "blue Walleyes" in this part of the province. The places/lakes i've caught them most was in Tweed Township/tweed lake, and upper kesogami lake. The walleyes have a goldish color, and distinctive blue color best seen at the dorsal part of the fish.
Hi Miquel: Thanks for your sightings in northeastern Ontario. We will add them to our data list. Good fishing! Wayne Schaefer
My name is Bill and I live in Oconomowoc,WI. I have caught Blue Walleye in Press Lake Ontario near Ignace. The last one was in June 2007. The fish had no yellow color at all and was about 17" long.My son and I were fishing on the Brule Flowage on the WI MI border in December 2007 and my son caught a Blue Walleye that was 18" long.
whabermann@netzero.com
My name is Mark and I recently purchased a camp on Petticoat Lake in Baraga county in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. On June 27, 2009 my son and I caught 3 blue perch. I threw the 2 smaller ones I caught back and kept the 10 incher my son caught. It is still on ice, can you use it for your research? I will be happy to send it to you if you would like. The locals told me about the "blues" but I did not believe them. I do now.
Name:Scott Moen
Lake:Rainy Lake
GPS (optional):
Town/City:International Falls
State/Providence:MN
Country:USA
Outfitter/Lodge (optional):none
Number Caught:1
Average Size (inches):22
Date Caught (month/day/year):7/10/20010
Email:moen0163@gmail.com
Additional Comments :caught a blue walleye in Saginaw Bay on the US side of the lake. I have a picture if you wouldl like it. If you would like gps coordinates I can get those to you as well.
Hi Mark: Thank you for your sighting of blue perch on Petticoat Lake. What is the name of your camp? Do you have cabins for rent? We will add your sighting to our data base. Best Wishes. Wayne Schaefer
Hi Scott Moen: Thanks for your sighting on Rainy Lake. We will add it to our data base. A picture and GPS coordinates are always appreciated. Good fishing.
Wayne Schaefer
Name:Neall and Judd
Lake: Wicksteed Lake
GPS (optional): 46.767517,-79.66763
//maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=46.770556,-79.676714&spn=0.036095,0.077162&t=h&z=14
Town/City: Martin River
State/Providence:Ontario
Country:Canada
Outfitter/Lodge (optional):
Number Caught:1
Average Size (inches): approx 14 inches
Date Caught (month/day/year):09/01/2009
Additional Comments :
Hi Neall and Judd:
Thank you for your sighting on Wicksteed Lake. We will add it to our data base. Good fishing!
Wayne Schaefer
My name is Steven Brott and I live in Sherwood Mi. On August 26 2009 I caught a 22" walleye that weighed 5 pounds. Although not all blue the fish had a definite blue color to his top half and the top half of his fins. I caught the fish on rainy lake on the Canadian side in the frienly pasage in about 9' of water.
Hi Steven: Thank you for your sighting on Rainy Lake. We will add it to our data base. Good Fishing. Wayne Schaefer
Hi Wayne, Good to see you again today at the brain disection. As you know, the group I fish with in Quetico has caught numerous blue walleye over the years. Some appear to be a mix while others are solid blue with "albino" bellies. I gave you a picture a few years ago with all three "strains" on one photo (ready to be cleaned) and I could re-send it if you wish. The lake that seems to have the highest concentration of them at the north end of the park where we fish is Cirrus Lake. About 50+% (very unofficial survey) of them caught are the solid blue. Dave B dbrouillette@wi.rr.com
About ten years ago we caught 3 or 4 blue walleyes through the ice on the Willow Flowage (part of the Tomahawk River/Wisconsin River) in Oneida County, WI.
My name is Jeff Levesque from Ignace Ont. I have found Blue walleye in Wynn Lake 60 km north of Ignace. I have fished this lake several times and have only caught blue walleye. Each time attending the lake I have caught my limit and the fish where of average to large in size. The fish are dark on the back to a light gray towards the belly and the blue slim is easily visible.
My name is Jeff Levesque from Ignace Ont. I have found Blue walleye in Wynn Lake 60 km north of Ignace. I have fished this lake several times and have only caught blue walleye. Each time attending the lake I have caught my limit and the fish where of average to large in size. The fish are dark on the back to a light gray towards the belly and the blue slim is easily visible.
Hi Jeff: Thanks for you sighting on Wynn Lake. We will add it to our data base. Wayne Schaefer
My name is dave, wife caught a walleye tonight in shenago river at the mouth of shenago dam.covered with blue stain.this is in greenville PA. if your interested.
Hi Dave: Thanks for your sighting in Pennsylvania. It is the furthest south sighting we have had do date. We will add this sighting to our data base. Do you have any digital photos of the fish? Please e-mail me directly at wayne.schaefer@uwc.edu. Thanks.
Wayne Schaefer
My name is Gab, me and my dad caught 2 blue walleye out of 6 walleye. In LarderLake On. there were about 18in in lenght
i have pics. of them 2. they were caught on larderLake(deep and fairly big cold lake), ON , Can. and i know of more caught ice fishing on Diamond Lake(small shallow lake), On, can. witch is few Km from LarderLake
gab
Hi! My name is Kelleen. I live in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. Yesterday, July 24, 2010, I caught a blue walleye in Lake Ramsey in Sudbury. It was totally blue...very cool! I took some pictures, which do it no justice.
Hi Kelleen: Thanks for you sighting in Lake Ramsey. We will add it to our data base. Late summer is the time of the year when blue walleye are most blue. Good fishing. Wayne Schaefer
My name is Lou White from Ogdensburg, New York. I caught a blue walleye on the St.Lawrence river on 9/07/2010. The fish was 21 1/2" in length. I didn't do the blue mucus test, but the fish was clearly blue in the water when I landed the fish. I took several pictures of the walleye.
E-mail address: lee.durgan@gmail.com
I caught a 17.5 inch blue walleye last week while fishing Gowganda Lake in Ontario. It was a bluey silver. It stood out from the others it was such a different colour
Dear Anonymous: Thank you for your blue walleye sighting at Gowganda Lake. We have had many sightings from Lake Nipissing but few from the immediate Gowganda area. We will add your sighting to our data base. Good fishing.
Wayne Schaefer
My name is Sabrina and my son cought a blue walleye out of Glendo State Park in wyoming on 6/18/11 it was 17"
Hi Sabrina: Thank you for your blue walleye sighting at Glendo State Park. It is our first report of blue walleye from Wyoming and our furthest southwest report. We will add it to our data base. Good fishing.
Wayne Schaefer
my name is peter, i caught a few blue walleye at lake achepabanca, quebec. it seems they are quite common there. mostly large fish, 20 -24 in. the blue was solid on the backs and had a visable tint all over. this blue did not rub off. we also caught yellow walleyes in the same areas
Hi Peter: Thanks for your blue walleye sighting on Lake Achepabanca in Quebec. The camp is called "Blue Walleye Outpost" and looks like a nice place with a lot of blue walleye. We will add your sighting to our data base. Good fishing.
Wayne Schaefer
Hi Wayne,
My name is Lou. I caught a
21 1/2 " blue walleye in the St. Lawence river in Ogdensburg, NY on Sept. 7th, 2010. I forgot to do the blue mucus test but the fish looked like a blue tropical fish in the water. I took some good pictures of the walleye. I left a comment last september, but didn't get a reply so I tried again.
Thanks Lou.
Dear Lou:
Thanks for your sighting in the St. Lawrence River. Sorry we did not get back to you sooner. We will add your sighting to our data list and would welcome any photos which could be sent to wayne.schaefer@uwc.edu. Good fishing.
Wayne Schaefer
while fishing east of the ogdensburg/prescott bridge on the st.lawrence river we landed a 25" blue walleye..first i have seen in 62 years.
Jeff From Thunder Bay ON Canada. I caught a Definate Blue walleye On Aug 28 2011 about 13 inches. Wasn't just a hint of blue it was completely blue. Was the only blue one caught all day the rest were normal. It was on Smiley Lake about 75 Km North Of Thunder Bay.
my name is patrick graham from estevan sask. my son and I were fishing at Grand Rapids Manitoba on July 5/11. We were catching good numbers of walleye when my son asked if there were some kind of trout in the waters also, I said I didnt believe so. When he brought up the next fish I couldnt believe what I was looking at. It was so blue on the back, about 20inches. I didnt know anything about these until now. Amazing.
Hello, My name is Rob Kalinski. I live in Hortonville, WI and do a lot of walleye fishing on the wolf river. On March 24th, 2012 my father and I were fishing in Stephensville,WI and caught a fish that had a blueish tint instead of a yellow like a typical yellow walleye. We didn't notice the color until we got home. I have great pictures of the fish next to a yellow walleye. It was about 18" long. The fish was a male and was milked out. Please email me for the photos. RobKalinski25@gmail.com... Wish I could have kept the fish alive for an aquarium...
Hi Rob,
Thanks for the great sighting of blue walleye in the Wolf River. That is one of our furthest south sightings and we will add it to our data base. Please send photos. I am still very active in this research and will publish a paper this year on seasonal abundance of the blue pigment. Good fishing!
Wayne Schaefer, Ph.D.
University of Wisconsin – Washington County
My name is Mike Low and I live in the Northwest Territories, Canada and I have caught blue walleye and a series of lakes around the Mackenzie River
Hi Mike,
Thanks for your sighting in the Northwest Territories, which is our furthest north sighting. Can you give us the name of the largest lake with blue walleye that we might find on a map or a nearby town? Do you have any photos of the blue walleye that you could share with us?
Wayne Schaefer
In September 2011, I went up a great outfitter in Quebec called "Ten Mile Lake Lodge". The outfitter is located on "Ten Mile Lake" but that lake is mostly pike and lake trout, as far as I know. The outfitter owns a road and rights to a certain part of a large lake called "Lac Dumoine". The fishing on Lac Dumoine is mostly Walleye. I caught approximately 30 Walleye per day, releasing nearly all. I would say they were from 13-22 inches, and half of the fish were BLUE walleye with beautiful blue colors on their fins, and body. They don't seem to occur in the bodies of water where I live which is the Ottawa, national capital region. But I could be wrong, since there are many lakes I have not fished. They are interesting fish, I could send some pictures of the blue Walleye if you are interested.
Dear Anonymous,
Thank you for your sighting on Lac Dumoine. Blue walleye are even more abundant in Quebec than Ontario. Photos are always appreciated and can be sent to wayne.schaefer@uwc.edu. Good fishing!
Wayne Schaefer
Name:Dan Johnson
Lake:Kilburn
GPS (optional):50°45'25.51"N
94°28'19.02"W
Town/City:Red Lake
State/Providence:Ontario
Country:Canada
Outfitter/Lodge (optional):self
Number Caught:1
Average Size (inches):24.5"
Date Caught (month/day/year):06/07/2012
Email:johnse6872@gmail.com
Additional Comments :caught this walleye in a pool below a waterfall. It was very skinny for the length that it was. First one that I've ever caught. I will email you a couple of photos also.
My name is Paul and my Son's name is Luke. We caught first blue walley in August 2011 on the Ottawa River at Deep River Ontario Canada, though more on the Quebec side of the river in around 40ft of water. Fish was smaller, around 1.lb 10" long. In August 2012 in the same area in around 25 ft of water we caught 7 (!) blue walley in 45 minutes all around 1.5-2lb 14-16 long. They all fought very lightly and took the bait...minnor and a yellow jig tenderlly. Always catch yellow walley, small mouth bass etc, locals are catching them as well, though still rare.
Hi Paul,
This is a very interesting sighting because the Ottawa River connects to the historic habitat of the extinct blue pike. Is there any chance these fish are
"blue pike"?. Pike in those days (1950s) meant walleye. The extinct blue pike had large eyes located close together. Do you have any photos of these fish? If you, or anyone you know, catches another blue walleye, please freeze it and send it to us! Thanks for the help. Doc Schaefer (wayne.schaefer@uwc.edu)
Anonymous
My dad Caught a slender 22in blue walleye this past week, August 9th on Namakan lake in Voyageurs National Park on the Minnesota side. We have a couple pictures of the fish and released it. Although slender it seemed to be healthy. We caught other walleye in the same area but none of them had the distinct blue tint.
Person whos dad caught the blue walleye on Namakan on august 9th, another person in our party caught an albino pike at the same location the next day. kind of weird to catch 2 unique fish in the same location of a massive system of lakes and not anywhere else. been going up to voyageurs for about 8 or 9 consecutive years now to rainy, nam, or kab and this is the first year any of our party has caught a blue walleye or white albino pike
Dear Anonymous,
Thank you for your sighting of blue walleye on Namakan Lake, MN. We will add it to our data base.
Good Fishing.
Wayne Schaefer
Dear Anonymous,
Thank you for your sighting of an albino northern pike on Namakan Lake, MN. We will add it to our data base. We have seen no albino northern pike in our 15 year study of blue walleye in Canada. Good fishing!
Wayne Schaefer
Hi my name is Robert Ahner I caught a blue walleye on lake winnebago. On July 17 2007 during the otter street fishing tournament. I dont reameber the size of the fish.
traybobber@att.net
thank you,
Robert Ahner
Caught an 18" blue Walleye on English River, West of Ear Falls, Ont.3 miles below Manitou Falls Dam. Will email picture if wanted. dwt444@gmail.com
Dear Robert,
Thank you for your sighting on Lake Winnebago. We will add it to our data list. Another blue walleye was caught from Lake Winnebago the last week of August. Good fishing!
Wayne Schaefer
Dear dwt444,
I have fished that exact area of the English River many times. Ten years ago the walleye in that area of the English River had no blue color in their mucus. Today, many walleye in that area have blue color in their mucus. Thanks for your sighting. We will add it to our data list. Good fishing.
Wayne Schaefer
We were fishing in the Bay of Quinte out of Northport Ontario, Canada and caught a blue walleye. We were told they are found mostly in northern Ontario and are making a comeback to the bay. We kept the fish along with our other yellow walleye. We were then told by someone that this is an rare species. Could you please verify the correct status of this particular fish for us. We caught this unusual fish in June 2015 in approx 15 feet of water. It was about 12 in. and weighted about 2 lbs. It was very healthy. It was identical to the other yellow walleye that we caught, only blue. We have a picture if you would like to see it. paulandsandy@rogers.com
We sent the above message to the Dept. of Natural Resources and they in turn sent some info on the blue pickerel and that is how we found your site.
Ryan Romanowski.I was fishing on pine lake in Finlayson MN and caught 4 blue perch on 2/17/17! I never would of thought anything of it until I saw a post on Facebook the same day of a kid with a picture of one and someone had told him it was albino? And how about a crappie? A friend fishing by me earlier this winter(same lake) had a 10" crappie in his bucket.when I looked at it, the top (back) of the fish looked like a bright blue..now im almost mad i didnt take a picture but didnt think about it since I've seen crappies almost black and some almost silver. I took pictures of my perch though and would love to send to you.
rromanowski250@yahoo.com
Hi Wayne
I believe we chatted a while back. We caught a blue walleye this summer on the Ottawa river in Angliers, Qc.
Joey
Kevin caught a blue walleye on the Michigamme River near Republic, MI in the upper peninsula. It was 19.5" It was caught on July 19, 2019. We have a picture to share if you would like it.
Name:
Lake: Kawnipi Lake, Kawa Bay, Wawiag River
GPS (optional):
Town/City:
State/Providence: Ontario (Quetico Provincial Park
Country: Canada
Outfitter/Lodge (optional):
Number Caught: Close to 100
Average Size (inches): 15-23 inches, most in the 17-18"
Date Caught (month/day/year): June 26-28, 2011
Email: bsjfrana@aol.com
Additional Comments : We camped near the entrance to the Wawiag River in Kawa Bay. We caught the fish at a variety of times throughout the day and were amazed at our luck. I would say nearly all had the blue color to them and this had been my friend's intention of going to this area as he had heard the infamous blue walleye existed here. We caught nearly all of the fish near the two lakes along the river, one fairly large lake to the north and a small lake to the south. We just discovered your website/blog as I just returned from this same area last week (fished there on August 11, 2019) where another friend caught at least two blue walleye, 18". All smaller walleye of about 10" had no blue color.
Just adding/confirming prior comment from bsjfrana@aol.com. I am his friend who caught several blue walleye on Wawiag River that flows into Kawa Bay of Kawnipi Lake in Quetico Provincial Park last week (August, 2019). We kept 2 for cleaning/eating and their blue color seemed to get somewhat more noticeable/intense the longer they were on the stringer.
Tasted the same as regular walleye!
Friend who took me to this spot had caught several blue walleye there back in 2011.
I do have a photo or two; if you would like another photo let me know.
Thank you for your research and blog explaining this well. Very interesting.
eric e.
e.evans8853@gmail.com
Hi i don't have experience this before but i really love to read this type of blog because i have online store of boat accessories and fishing accessories so i have searched sometimes these type of things to get know what type of product people are using for there boat and fishing.
I caught a few on Lake Wapikiamaski in Ontario in the past and have some really great pictures from my last trip.
Hi Dr. Schaefer,
I'm a regional fisheries biologist of the Quebec Park, Forest and Wildlife Ministry (region: Abitibi-Témiscamingue). I supervise our regional walleye Inland Lakes Monitoring Network. In some lakes, "blue walleye" are captured during our survey. In a lake of the monitoring network, we also catch "orange sauger". For more information you can contact by email: Martin.Belanger@mffp.gouv.qc.ca
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