Walley Fry From Spruce Creek Fish Farm & Hatchery

Walleye Fry- Normally Available In May

Call For Pricing 800-972-7648 or 218-943-1800

Habitat – Walleye tend to congregate near the bottom on sand bars or near ledges and drop-offs.

Growth Rate- Growth rate will depend on your pond and the food that is available but typicall a walleye will grow to 6" the first fall and 12" by the second fall

Food Sources – Insects, larvae, nightcrawlers, crayfish, snails and small fish.

Spawning – Walleye spawn in early March when water temperatures reach 45 to 50 degrees F. Some 25,000 to 50,000 eggs per pound of body weight are produced each year by a single female. Fertilization occurs when eggs from the female and milt from the male are released simultaneously. Eggs fall between crevices in rock "rip-rap" along dams.

Walleye Facts – Although walleye are not easy to catch, they are definitely worth the effort. Walleye filet is considered by gourmets to be among the best table fare. Because of the peculiar light-gathering structure of their eyes, walleye seek deep water during the day to avoid the bright sun, feeding mostly at night.

The walleye (also known as pickerel in some areas) is one of the most sought-after fish in the Midwest. The walleye gets it's name from its pearlescent eye, that helps it see and feed at night or in murky water.

Typical walleye average 1 to 2 pounds in most waters, though the occasional Walleye can exceed 10 lbs. Walleye can live up to 15 years. Walleye are distinguishable from sauger by the lack of spots on their dusky dorsal fin. The walleye also have a dark splotch at the rear base of the fin that the sauger do not have. The lower tip of the tail is white, unlike the all-dark lower lobe of the saugers tail.

Walleye will do well in a range of river and lake conditions from cold, clear water to warm, weedy and stained water. Preferred cover includes weed, wood and rock. Bottom types can be anything from soft mud to flooded timber, rubble or bedrock.

The walleye is not a territorial fish at spawning time; they usually broadcast their eggs and exercise no parental care.
Walleye spawn over rock, rubble, gravel and similar surfaces in water 1 to 6 feet deep, where current clears away fine sediment and will cleanse and aerate eggs. Male walleye move into spawning areas in early spring when the water temperature may be only a few degrees above freezing. The larger females arrive later. Spawning reaches its peak when water temperature ranges from 42 to 50 degrees. A five-pound female deposits more than 100,000 eggs. Neither parent cares for the eggs in any way.

Walleye spawning areas can be enlarged or rehabilitated by hauling loads of carefully selected boulders and rock over the ice and dropping it at a precise location over the spawning area. When the ice goes out in the spring the new material is added to the spawning areas.

Stocking Walley Fingerling-

Walleye are introduced to lakes that have been "rehabilitated" (that is, where the previous fish were deemed undesirable and removed). Where habitat is suitable, these introductions often establish self-sustaining fisheries.
In one of the most popular and effective uses of stocking, walleye fry are put in heavily used lakes that occasionally winter-kill. These lakes are fertile, and walleye fry quickly grow into "keepers." The fish may be given some protection with aerators to increase winter oxygen, but still, stocking these lakes is a gamble. The risk is losing great numbers of game fish before they can be caught. The payoff is desirable game fish where otherwise nongame fish would swim.

Walleye are also stocked in lakes with all the elements necessary for survival except suitable spawning areas. This approach works in lakes that once were natural walleye producers but that since have succumbed to farm runoff and lakeshore development. As fertilizers, septic-tank seepages and other sources of nutrients have enriched waters, algae proliferate and smother walleye eggs. In this instance, stocking is a prosthesis for an injured body of water.
Occasionally, walleye are stocked to bolster the number of catchable fish where heavy use or poor reproduction justifies the expense. If you choose to stock walleye in your lake or pond they will be looking for crustaceans, small minnows and plankton to eat. You should also consider stocking minnows into the pond with the walleye as they will provide an excellent source of food, (mud minnows spawn 4 to 5 times a year) for your young walleye.

Sources- Minnesota DNR, Oklahoma Wildlife Department