Their diet is primarily other fish. Walleyes prefer large lakes with considerable areas of deep water and large rivers, with cold to moderately warm water temperatures the most favorable. As the surface water approaches 72 F, they slowly retreat to deeper and cooler waters. Usually, the spawning area is a location with 1 to 5 feet of clear water in some type of current. The female is attended by several males as they swim over the spawning area, simultaneously emitting eggs and milt as they go.
Fertilized eggs fall among the gravel and rocks on the bottom which provide some protection.
No parental care is given to either eggs or young. The walleye is considered by some to be the state's top sport fish. Distribution of the walleye in NY state. Dark dots represent where actual samples of the walleye were taken. White dots represent historic distributions.