When handling the fish, care should be taken to avoid their sharp spines and sharp gill plates. Walleye Walleye, the largest members of the perch family, often exceed 20 inches in length. Although not as widely distributed as yellow perch, walleye are found in every major watershed in New York State, except Long Island. They are important gamefish and provide major recreational fisheries in lakes Erie, Oneida, Chautauqua, and Champlain. Walleye are sometimes called walleye pike, yellow pickerel, yellow pike, or pike perch and have been incorrectly identified as a member of the pike family.
Walleye are similar in body shape to both sauger and yellow perch.
However, walleye can be identified by the dark spot found at the bottom of their first dorsal fin and their large canine teeth. Saugers lack the dark spot and yellow perch lack the large teeth. Most walleye are yellow, but occasionally a variation occurs which gives the fish a blue color. Walleye prefer the deep water sections of large lakes, streams, and rivers. They have large, light-sensitive eyes that help them locate food in poor light.