Question about MN walleye

I’m hoping one of you fellas can shed a little light on something that I’ve wondered for a couple years now. I live in Ohio, originally from Michigan, and fish Lake Erie walleye. Many of the ice fishing shows and videos I watch are filmed on MN and ND lakes like Red lake, Mill lacs and Devils lake. The size of your “big” or “nice” walleye seem more like our average sized eyes here. Do the walleye out there run a bit smaller than Lake Erie walleye? Here, 5-7 pounds is an average female or a good sized jack where 10- 12 pounds is a pig of a female, but not totally uncommon.

Probably want to take the body of water size into consideration.

Duh… Erie is known for some of the biggest walleye on the planet.

Like comparing an Ohio lake to Castaic Lake in Cali where a nice largemouth is 12-15lbs and a giant is 20.

I don’t know about the rest of Minnesotans but all I catch is 10-12# walleyes too.

Show off

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I don’t know about the rest of Minnesotans but all I catch is 10-12# walleyes too.

Show off

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Now now…. Don’t get me wrong here, I’m not trying to rag on MN eyes. I personally have never caught one in the 10-12 pound class, but know plenty of guys and girls that have. My biggest was a little over 6lbs, and here what would be considered a smaller female. I guess I just thought Lake Erie was more about the quantity of fish than the larger size of the fish. I suppose, growing up near Lake Erie has caused me to take it for granted to a certain degree and not quite realize how great of a fishery it really is.

Yeah, but the thing about Erie is that while 10lb fish are not uncommon, fish larger than that are. I know a good buddy that fishes Erie all the time (lives there) and he says he has literally caught hundreds of 9 and 10lb. fish but never a 12lb. fish. It’s like Okeechobee for bass in that manner, more 8-10lb. largemouth than almost any other lake, but very few over that.

This was cerdited to Al Linder ,he was asked why the guys caught a lot of 8-9# walleyes in practice and only weighed in 6-7# fish in the tournement , his answer was thats what 8-9# fish weigh when you put them on a scale.also like a new guy that had been bragging how good he did bass fishing ,after the tournement he was complaining about all the small bass he had caught,my comment was thats how big your keeper fish are when you have to put them on a board.
Stan

…kinda like all flatheads are 50 pounders when caught by folks that normally don’t fish for them??

The fish on Erie grow faster. Forage base is one factor.

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The fish on Erie grow faster. Forage base is one factor.

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Exactly. Those 5-7 pound fish taken in a small Mn lake are old fish. Not the best eaters. Most here prefer eating fish in that 15-20 inch range.

Completly different world. You would get funny looks here in Mn fileting out a limit of 7 pounders just like we would get funny looks out there fileting up a limit of 18 inchers.

-J.

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The fish on Erie grow faster. Forage base is one factor.

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Exactly. Those 5-7 pound fish taken in a small Mn lake are old fish. Not the best eaters. Most here prefer eating fish in that 15-20 inch range.

Completly different world. You would get funny looks here in Mn fileting out a limit of 7 pounders just like we would get funny looks out there fileting up a limit of 18 inchers.

-J.

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I still usually only keep the smaller eye for the dinner table. If it’s just over 15″ (minimum size on Erie) it goes to the table. There is a bit bigger range for the “eaters” here though. I’ll take mostly fish from 15″- 25″ for the table. Fish in the 5lb class are usually about 3 years old. As far as fish larger than 10lbs, the only ones I’ve ever seen were caught during the spawning runs on the Maumee river. It seems to be about the only time you can catch those monsters.
Thanks for the clarification guys. I wasn’t sure if our eye here run big, or if guys like James Holst and Jason Mitchell just make the fish look small because their so big. It’s kinda hard to tell sizes on TV.

Its a great fishery with great ecology. Not only that, but a big body of water like that has less chance of being affected by fishing pressure.

Thank goodness for the term “eater size” walleye. That will help the fisheries everywhere for years to come.

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Fish in the 5lb class are usually about 3 years old.

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I think growth rate is a huge factor. The quoted statistic simply doesn’t happen as you go north. Keep in mind: The water temps in Mn are 32-40 degrees from mid Nov to Mid Apr. That’s 5+ months out of the year. Even longer the further north you go.

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Its a great fishery with great ecology. Not only that, but a big body of water like that has less chance of being affected by fishing pressure.

Thank goodness for the term “eater size” walleye. That will help the fisheries everywhere for years to come.

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The whole “eater size” thing hasn’t seemed to quite catch on here though. You should see the looks people get when they release 7-10lb fish. Many guys think you’re out of your mind. Last year I let a few 5’s go because I already had a few smaller fish on my stringer. The guys next to me thought I was nuts. Keep in mind, fishing the walleye run on the Maumee river, we’re wading in the river and you’re almost shoulder to shoulder with other fisherman. It makes for an interesting experience.

Damnnnnnn,,, Now I’m hungry!!

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The whole “eater size” thing hasn’t seemed to quite catch on here though.

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That stinks. When people start questioning you, just tell them, “Go ahead and keep those big, fat fish with all the mercury and other contaminants in them. In a few years I’ll have this water all to myself”.

Even in minnesota we see differences from north to south. A month or so back someone posted a great article about growth rates, age, and weight of walleyes from the Mississippi in the south vs Rainy Lake on the Canadian border.

The Rainy fish had slower growth rates and needed more years to put on the pounds. With pressure, natural causes, predators, and other factors this may account for a smaller average size.

Don’t get me wrong there are some huge walleyes up there but they are older fish. Not every lake is the same too. Some are better for numbers of the 13-20″ fish and a few miles over you might have a lake known for less numbers but big fish by any definition.

Sounds like you’ve got some great walleyes over there in your neck of the woods

Look at channel cats in the Red and below the Lockport Dam in Manitoba. Who’d think that would be a trophy fishery so far north for such a warm water species. Some bodies of water just got it.