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Walleye or Pickerel – The Great Debate

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My father and I have had a friendly debate going for a number of years regarding the name of a particular sport fish. And as my career in fish habitat restoration has established, I am finding this is common debate amongst many Ontario outdoors people.

As a long time fisherman, my father has always referred to the common fish species Sander vitreus as a pickerel, and when I was younger, who was I to argue with him. Growing up my father instilled in me, my love for the outdoors, from many hikes in our local conservation areas, to family vacations at various cottages near Georgian Bay and North Bay. One of my earliest memories is of lying beside the Northern Pike that my dad caught when I was 3 years old. I was the same size as the fish which is still proudly displayed above his fireplace (the fish…not me!) Fishing has always been something that I have had in common with my dad, from river fishing, to ice fishing; it is something we will always share.

So when I decided to study environmental sciences in school, it was pretty clear that I wanted to focus on protecting those ecosystems that we both loved. What I didn’t realize was that it would question the knowledge of the man who had been my first teacher. When I took my first biology/fisheries courses, I learned a lot about the largest member of the perch family, the walleye and I was very excited to share this information with my dad. But that was when it began…the big debate! He placed his hand on my shoulder and said, “Oh, you mean Pickerel.”  Confused, I said to him “no walleye” and showed him my notes and then proceeded to explain the difference between walleye and pickerels. He laughed it off and said that everyone called them pickerels and that they might not be teaching the correct terminology.  Truth be told, that I did realize that depending where you are from, many fish, and animals for that matter, can be referred to by different common names, and neither are right or wrong. I just like to push my dad’s buttons.

Over the last 20 years, my dad and I have jokingly gone back and forth over this issue until recently. He showed me an article from a provincial fishing magazine which explained the differences between Walleye, Sauger, Pike and Pickerel. I was so excited it was the same info I had been explaining to him all these years. Finally I was going to prove to him that I was right. After reading the article he looked at me said, “See, I told you it was called a “walleye” not a pickerel!”  Smiling to myself, I laughed and thought who was I, to argue with him.

Want to know the difference between a Walleye and Pickerel?

It should be noted that common names of fish could be culturally different depending on the region that you live. Walleye are often called pickerel, especially in English speaking parts of Canada, while in the United States of America, they call the same species (Sander vitreus) a walleye. The same thing happens with another fish, with some people calling a Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) a Steelhead. Neither are right or wrong; they are a cultural preference. For the sake of this article, and the friendly debate between my father and me, here are the differences between a Walleye (Sander vitreus) and a Grass Pickerel (Esox americanus vermiculatus):

Walleye (Sander vitreus) are the largest members of the perch family. They are a cool freshwater fish, native to most of Canada. The walleye is named for its pearlescent eye that helps them see and feed at night or in murky water. They are often found in deeper water, especially when the climate is warm.

Pickerel – the term pickerel is reserved for small fishes in the Pike Family. Grass Pickerel (Esox americanus vermiculatus) are a species of special concern in Canada. They are found in shallower waters, and are long and slender, resembling and often mistaken for its more northern cousin…the Northern Pike. (But that I will tell you about that another time!)

Whatever you call this fish, you can rest assured that Watersheds Canada’s fish habitat restoration projects work to restore their spawning areas. For over seven years, Watersheds Canada has worked alongside community groups and local volunteers to restore historic walleye spawning beds and ensure local populations stay healthy for years to come. How do we do it? You can learn about past walleye spawning bed projects on our Fish Habitat Projects webpage, or by reading our free and accessible Fish Habitat Enhancement Toolkit (created in partnership with the Lanark Stewardship Council). 

 

Article resources:

  • N Hong |

    Growing up in Montréal in the 1960’s my parents made a steamed fish dish, and always said it was a doré. Leaving Quebec I have not been able to figure out the name of this fish in Ontario or the USA. If I want to buy it or order it in a restaurant, what do I ask for? Thank you!
    Reply
    • Ian Batket |

      Pickerel or walleye (two names in English for the fish called dore in French)
      Reply
  • Alan Hitchcox |

    I grew up and spent most of my life in northeast Ohio, near the southern shores of Lake Erie. Growing up, we usually caught yellow perch, which was my favorite. That was until I had a northern pike while in Michigan. That experience gave me a new favorite.
    Later, my friends all raved about how good walleye were. I had them several times but still liked yellow perch better. Then I ordered Canadian walleye at a local restaurant. I figured it was just a walleye caught in Canada to make it sound more exotic. I was wrong. I twas better than perch, and the last time I had fish this good was when I had northern pike.
    So with the pickerel in the pike family, it makes sense to me that it is different from a walleye, if only because I like the taste better.
    Reply
    • Jesse Jackson |

      Canadian walleye is referred to by many people here, myself included, as pickerel. If you read the post you would notice that. The Canadian walleye you ate was very more than likely the same fish you had, called pickerel. I have spent my life fishing for “pickerel” in the French river system and this is definitely a common argument, though you can’t call it walleye on the pickerel River. Ill throw you outta my boat. Pickerel is by far the best tasting fish out of our River systems and tastes nothing like Northern pike, or grass pickerel. Nor is the shape of the body or the filet of the fish anything similar. They don’t clean the same way. Yellow pickerel, or “walleye” have nice, large and flat filets on either side of the fish, when cleaned. Pike are rounder and meatier and honestly only taste great when coming out of really cold fresh water. They also don’t have the dorsal fin that pickerel do and are long, tubular fish. Grass pickerel (also known as chain pickerel) and northern pike are much less sought after for their meat. While they are a game fish, and Northern pike will give you some of the best fight of your life, pickerel or “walleye” are distinctly different. And depending on where you go to eat it, they may call it one or the other, but its actually the same thing. I almost guarantee the walleye you had, and the pickerel you had, were the same species of fish, even if only because of the fact that fish from the pike family are far less sought after for eating, grass pickerel included.
      Reply
      • Suzanne Kosky |

        Thank! My Dad always went to Georgian Bay fishing…..always brought back Pickerel…XO
        Reply
    • Jan kammersgaard |

      Funny, 20yr ago or so I watched a fishing show with 4 professional sport fisherman, they did a blind better taste test on walleye and pike…. pike won!
      Reply
  • Jose Alfredo |

    Some people call Bisons, Buffalo and hares, rabbits and wasps, hornets. Doesn’t make it so.

    Some people know thing because someone told them it is so. Still doesn’t make it so.

    I just ate Pickerel for dinner at the fancy Ft Garry Hotel (in Winnipeg). What the hell have they just served me? It wasn’t delicious – not in the way food in a fancy restaurant typically is. I don’t know whether to blame the chef, or the fish (whatever fish it was!).
    Reply
  • Bob |

    Well the fishing regs in Ontario call them Walleye. Kind of ends the debate doesn’t it?
    Reply
  • Kitty B Kahn |

    I don’t care what it’s called. I’m just thrilled to know that Walleye is Perch, because I love Perch and our favorite restaurant here in Ann Arbor, Knight’s, no longer serves Perch, but they do serve Walleye. I loved the article.
    Reply
  • H.B. Jakobsson |

    Ladies and the rest of youse, regional preference beats taxonomy in the vernacular. It ?? pickerel and jackfish for walleye and Northern Pike (aka ‘snake’) respectively, ’round these parts anyways. Born and raised catching pickerel and jackfish from the Interlake region of Manitoba, afi was a commercial fisherman on Lake Winnipeg and I’ve fished every point for a thousand mile radius from that. Of course we caught suckers in the spring run, carp, bullheads, sunfish, whitefish, tullibee, goldeye, mooneye, etc etc etc, Case closed, yer welcome, góða nótt.
    Reply
    • Tom Emenhiser |

      My name is Tom Emenhiser. Tce02@comcast.net. When I was growing up, my parents had a ’30s vintage log cabin on Big Spider Lake, roughly 30 miles east of Hayward, Wisconsin. My parents loved fishing. In the cabin, near Moody’s Lodge, there was no TV, no phone and we would listen to the radio in the morning that played almost exclusively polka songs. But I digress…

      We would fish for perch, sunfish, and blue gills that we collectively called pan fish due to their diminutive size. We would also fish for Croppies. We called the prize larger fish either Musky that had to be 30 inches in length to keep and walleye (sometimes locals would call them walleyed pike). So that was our understanding of fish nomenclature held by the locals (fish guides Eddie and Tom Seahutter and others) in the late ’50s and early ’60s in Northern Wisconsin.

      One final note on fishing for walleyes. After dusk, they would come up close to the shore to feed and we would use live minnows for bate. We would fish off our dock until maybe 9 pm or so as they would stop biting about that time. During the day and fishing in deeper waters from a row boat, we would also use live minnows for bate but one would not set the fishing pole as the walleye would first grab the minnow and “run away” running out maybe 10-15 feet of line. We assumed they were running away from the other fish so they could eat the minnow without competition. When the line stopped running, we would wait 3-5 minutes allowing for time for the fish to consume his meal and then set the hook. I understand that Northern Wisconsin Lakes are now all but fished out and that high powered speed boats now dominate.
      Reply
      • Jesse Jackson |

        Dude. Waiting for the fish to swallow the hook is terrible. Set the hook yourself. In its mouth. That way, you can take it out of its mouth without killing it. That’s a horrible and also unethical practice and I hope you don’t teach anyone else to do this. What if its pregnant, or an out of season species of fish, or just not what you wanted to catch? Also, what would you rather. A hook in your mouth or a hook inside your stomach? Please stop doing this.
        Reply
  • Troy W. |

    In the 1970’s, when I used to go fishing with my Dad in northern Alberta (Cold Lake, Crane Lake, Primrose Lake, etc.), the fish we caught were called Jackfish and Pickerel. Sometimes people called Jackfish Pike instead, and everyone there knew that was two names for the same fish. But no one there ever referred to Pickerel as Walleye. When I asked my Dad what a Walleye was, he told me that that’s what Pickerel were called in the U.S. and some parts of Eastern Canada. I think the different names used in different areas is a really interesting part of our history, even though it occasionally leads to some confusion when people from different areas are chatting. Now can we figure out why Europeans refer to Moose as Elk and refer to Elk as Red Deer?!
    Reply
  • Darren Courville |

    I grew up in Sudbury, French River, West Arm during the 60s-90s moving to Toronto but always returning at least for one week annually for fishing. The one on the left is Pickerel all over the area and even buying it here in Toronto frozen from Fortinos. We were always taught to call it Walleye to our American friends who spend tourist dollars in the area. We were surprised when Ministry of Natural Resources started referring also to Walleye (no doubt for tourist benefit). One of the right is a Grass Pike which is a much smaller/slender version of the Northern Pike but yellowish green.
    Reply
  • Chris C |

    I just caught a pickerel 2 hours ago and it looked like the fish on the left.
    Reply
  • Niki Webster |

    I am from Minnesota, and the picture of the top fish is what we calla Walleye, and the bottom fish looks like what we would call a Norhern(Pike). I have never hear anyone I know talk about catching pickerel. Thanks for the interesting article!
    Reply
  • Mark Jeffels |

    It is the Pickerel Fish. Walleye is the name the Yankees have given it! Since we
    Are so americanized in Canada, we Canadians have lost most of our language
    And identity! It has REALLY GOTTEN WORSE SINCE THE 90’S!
    IT IS THE PICKEREL FISH!
    Reply
    • Stephen Wong |

      According to encyclopedias the walleye is a member of the Perch family and the Pickerel is of the Pike family. Two entirely different fish. The Americans are quite correct. Calling a Walleye a Pickerel is a misnomer. It’s not about American or Canadian it’s in the English encyclopedia. Would it be correct to call a hippopotamus an elephant. It’s the Canadian vernacular and dead wrong.
      Reply
  • Cecil MCTAVISH |

    I caught a pickerel and would like to keep it.
    Reply
    • Anthony deWaard |

      Walleye are often called pickerel, especially in English-speaking parts of Canada, while in the United States of America, they call the same species (Sander vitreus) a walleye. The same thing happens with another fish, with some people calling a Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) a Steelhead.
      Reply
  • Noel Corri |

    In the area of North bay/Sudbury we use Pickerel and Walleye interchangeably, and also use it for sauger but call it a black (walleye or pickerel).

    What you are saying is ACTUALLY a Pickerel we would commonly refer to it as a grass pike.

    so, yeah its all messed up all over, and I’ve ]confused others AND been confused by others over what we are actually talking about when it comes to these fish
    Reply
  • John McDonald |

    I’ve been living and fishing in the Kawarthas for fifty years and they(walleye) were always called pickerel here. I’ve never seen a grass pickerel except in pictures. As you said they are a member of the pike family so why weren’t they named grass pike, problem solved.
    Reply
  • John Harburg |

    When I lived near Sioux Lookout Ontario in the early 1960’s the elderly couple that lived next door use to take me fishing when I a kid. They explained to me that the fish we were catching were called Pickerel but that Yanks ( like me ) called them Walleye. The fish were definitely Walleye but they had lived in the area since 1890 so who was I to argue? After all if they called ham “bacon” then why not call Walleye “Pickerel”?
    Reply
    • Lucas |

      Hey, I live in Sioux Llokout… And we still call use Walleye and Pickerel interchangeably
      Reply
  • Peter |

    They were pickerel my whole life except for a few Americans on the lake. Now a guy I fish with insists that they are walleye. I had to check, all the best restaurants I know that serve it. Pickerel !
    Reply
  • Don Castleden |

    So who has naming rights? Fifty years ago I spent four years working with Indigenous fisherman in a remote community in northern Manitoba. (I grew up in northern Ontario). The fishermen in northern Manitoba called the fish in question yellows, short for yellow pickerel. Same name as in northern Ontario. The fish caught in northern Manitoba were usually shipped to the States where they may have been rebranded as walleye to appeal to the local market but at their source they were pickerel! The scientists who classified them as walleye should probably have talked to the folks who actually caught them to hear what they thought they were catching. One of your commentators was right when he pointed out that the northern pike are called jacks or jackfish by the same commercial fishermen I had the opportunity to work with.
    Reply
  • sandy vernon |

    Interesting comparison re: steelhead .. and to clear the confusion often heard.. Steelhead are wild Androminous rainbow trout .. To be a true steelhead the fish must have traveled from natal stream to ocean and lived fed there, before returning to the very same stream it left from 1-3 yrs ago. The reason or trigger for the migration is still not quite understood. This as that Steelhead can have brothers and sisters that do not transit or migrate,as they simply stay in the same stream .. but those non migratory fish seldom reach the size and power of a steelhead. Even then that returning steelhead may mate with another migratory partner, and non of those offspring will migrate , just as two non migratory fish may spawn and 1 or several , become migratory … what is the trigger , water temp, chemical, ??

    What clouds or caused confusion ,especially those that never fished BC coastal water, is that wild fish in BC are not clipped (marked) so an arbitrary size was used in order to distinguish rainbow/steelhead.. of 50cm/500 mm .. nose to tail fork, for purposes of tagging out and catch record on licence quota..
    Then we have pellet pig rainbow being sold in big box grocery as steelhead.. adding to confusion..
    Reply
  • Paul |

    Always an interesting debate. However, I will always stand by the fact that Great Lakes migrating Rainbow Trout are NOT Steelhead. Steelhead is a trout that migrates from salt water sea up fresh water rivers to spawn.
    Reply
    • Jason Brooks |

      Damn straight!!
      Reply
    • jig jigy |

      I say the same thing. If it never touches salt, it’s not a steelhead. the migration still there, but it’s from fresh to fresh and only for spawning, it’s basically a big wide section of fresh water to a skinny part of fresh water.
      Reply
  • Chris Van Trigt |

    I am friends with a commercial fisherman who has won a debate with the ministry to report his catches as pickeral not walleyes. As I say if they are pickeral on your plate in the local restaurants , they are pickeral on your line.
    Reply
  • Shaun Ottoni-Mayer |

    The spiny, forward, dorsal fin is a dead giveaway of it being a walleye. Pickerel are all part of the pike family and have that long smooth top. Been fishing for over thirty years, always knew the difference, but that could be because where I grew up fishing, there was a large poster set up for identification, but basically, this isn’t new information. Great article though, highlighting more than just the misnamed fish
    Reply
  • Terrence J Hiebert |

    Up here in NWT we have always called them Pickeral.. According to this info we have all been calling them the wrong name all these years. Pike are Jacks and walleye are pickerel..
    Reply
  • Buck O’Donelly |

    We were just having this debate at our cottage and the older folks accused me of secretly being American for calling them walleye. It’s funny because the people accusing me included my parents who have might have some explaining to do. We always called the grass pickerel a grass pike so what do we know? Anyways, great post and now on to the next fireside debate which will be about whether a steelhead is a salmon or a trout. Cheers from Bobcaygeon Ontario.
    Reply
  • Larry Levesque |

    I’ve always refered to both as pickerel.
    The walleye in Eastern Ontario and the Pickerel
    in Northern Ontario. Didn’t really know why they
    were both called that, always thought it was the difference
    between where they were caught. Different terminology for
    certain areas. They’re quite different looking which is why
    I decided to ask Google after 40 years. Thanks for the info and
    enjoyed your memories.
    Reply

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