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Fishing /
Species /
Content Index |
Great Canadian Fish
Walleye fish are one of North America's most wide-ranging, adaptable and sought-after sport fish. Varying widely in size (from as little as 33 centimetres and 1 kilogram to as many as 64 centimetres and 10-12 kilograms, depending on environmental conditions), torpedo-shaped walleye are the celebrities of the perch family. Yellow perch, saugers and darters are their genetic relatives.
From an evolutionary point of view, the success of the walleye as a top-level aquatic predator throughout central North America is due to several factors:
• Acute night vision -The large, glassy, pearlescent eye of the walleye is equipped with a "tapetum lucidum," a layer of pigment in the retina that gathers light very efficiently. This feature allows walleye to feed in dim light and murky conditions.
• Sharp teeth - The canine-like, curved teeth of the walleye also make it an effective predator. Baitfish and other prey caught in the grip of a walleye's mouth have little chance of escaping.
• A highly-developed lateral line - The ultra-sensitive nerve endings along each side of the walleye's body allow it to detect minute vibrations in the water and avoid danger and disturbance.
• Opportunistic feeding habits - Although the walleye is by preference a piscivorous fish - feeding on smaller fish, including yellow perch, whitefish and even other walleye - it will eat whatever nature provides, including insects, snails, frogs and small mammals.
• Environmental adaptability - Ideally, walleye prefer relatively shallow aquatic habitats that offer intermediate temperatures, medium to low clarity, light currents, and clean, hard, gravelly bottoms for spawning. They rely on rocky shorelines and reefs to provide crevices to protect their eggs from predators, and winds and waves to keep the eggs from silting over. But the species can adapt to an exceptionally wide range of environmental conditions, moving into depths of up to 12 metres to avoid light penetration, tolerating low levels of dissolved oxygen, and laying eggs in slack water.
Walleye in northern lakes, such as Winnipeg, can spawn at temperatures of 6-8 degrees Celsius, while walleye in more southern bodies of water spawn at 10- 13 degrees Celsius. After a series of repeated cold snaps, walleyes may re-absorb their eggs and not spawn at all. |
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| With its eel-like body and round suction-cup mouth filled with circular rows of teeth, the half-metre long sea lamprey looks like a creature from a horror movie. |
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| Travellers to Ontario can visit many urban centres, rural areas and remote wilderness. |
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| Ontario has many lakes and rivers, including the Great Lakes, where canoeists, kayakers, sailors and rafters can enjoy their crafts. |
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| Ontario has many trails to entice hikers, bikers, horseback riders, skiers and snowmobilers. From the heavily-populated south to the remote north, trails abound in the province. |
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Stalking Game and Waterfowl
Hunting is regulated, and there are a limited number of reservations available, so people planning a hunting expedition into Lake of the Woods are advised to contact a local Ontario government’s Ministry of Natural Resource office for regulations and licensing information. |
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