Side by Side

Walleye Sander vitreus

Typical: 15–25 in, 1–5 lb

Quickest tell: The milky light-reflecting eye, large canine teeth, and white-tipped lower tail lobe separate a walleye from a yellow perch, which has a normal dark eye and no canines.

• Olive-gold flanks with brassy mottling
• Glassy, light-reflecting eye (silvery tapetum)
• Two separate dorsal fins, first spiny
• White tip on the lower lobe of the tail
• Large canine teeth in the jaws
• Dark blotch at the rear base of the spiny dorsal

Full Walleye guide — season, gear and rules →

Yellow Perch Perca flavescens

Typical: 7–11 in, 0.3–0.8 lb

Quickest tell: Bold dark vertical bars over a yellow body, orange-tinted lower fins, a normal dark eye, and no canine teeth mark it as a perch, not a walleye.

• Golden-yellow body with 6-8 dark vertical bars
• Two separate dorsal fins, first spiny
• Orange-tinted pelvic and anal fins (esp. spawning males)
• Slightly humped back, blunt snout
• No canine teeth, only small rasp-like teeth
• Dark, non-reflective eye

Full Yellow Perch guide — season, gear and rules →

When Each Is Running July — current month highlighted

Where Walleye and Yellow Perch Overlap

Both run in Great Lakes — that is where telling them apart actually matters.

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