Because Aikens Lake offers some of the best Walleye fishing in Canada, we thought it would be a good idea to share with you a little insight into this type of fish. One of the important things that you should know about walleye is their growth rate. Here is a guide to help you familiarize yourself with how quickly walleye develop.
The Basics
Walleyes develop at very different rates depending on their gender. Their lifespan is also radically different as well. On top of that, certain factors, such as the environment and where they are located can also have a significant impact on growth rates.
Age
•1 – In their first year, a walleye will grow to around 13cm (5”) and weigh just .2 lbs. The males will be slightly bigger and will continue to be for several years.
•2 – Generally, the walleye will be at about 20cm (8”) in its second year of life. It will weigh slightly less than half a pound.
•3 – At this point the male walleye will be considered mature and will be about 26cm in length. They will weigh about .6lb.
•4 – This is the age in which female walleye will begin to outpace males in terms of size. On average, the walleye will weigh just shy of a pound and be 31cm (12.3”) in length.
•5 – At age 5, female walleye are considered mature and continue to grow more than the males. The average weight of a 5 year old walleye is a pound and in terms of length they will reach about 36cm (14.2”).
•10 – When they reach age 10, walleye will typically weigh about 2.6lbs. and will be about 49cm (19.1cm) long.
•15 – In terms of length, a 15 year old walleye will be about 58cm (23”). For weight, they will be 4.5 pounds.
•20 – At this point, the walleye population will be mostly female. They will weigh about 6.7 lbs. and be around 66cm (26.2”) in length.
•25 – For those walleye that live this long, the average weightis 9.4 lbs. and the average length is 74cm (29”).
Life Expectancy
Typically, your average male walleye will live anywhere between 15-20 years. Female walleyes live significantly longer than males. In fact, if left alone, the average female walleye will live for around 25 years, possibly longer. The oldest recorded walleye was 29 years old, weighed 25 lbs., and was 107 cm (42”) long.
Interesting Facts
- The name“walleye” comes from the fact that the fish’s eyes stare off in opposite directions, as if just staring at walls.
- While on the subject of their eyes, they can only see in shades of red and green. This is because they lack blue and yellow pigments in their eyes.
- There is a misconception that light hurts walleyes. In fact, walleyes simply favor low light situations because it makes it easier for them to hunt.
- While female walleye will produce less eggs the bigger they get, the eggs of larger walleye are more resilient and likely to actually hatch. It isn’t known whether they can reach a point whether they are unable to produce eggs anymore.
