Ive caught a lot of Walleyes in my time here on Mississippi River. I have even caught quit a few on the WI lake where this fish was caught. I have seen the saugeyes and caught them here on river.
I have not ever seen a walleye with blue on it like this fish. Im not going to post the picture of the person who caught the fish. I don't have his permission. I also don't know the whole story but I guess he caught more than this one.
Anyone ever see this before? Is it something DNR did?




Mac

I have seen it on some MN lakes before. If you see one like that there are likely more in the same body of water.

The lake we fly in to in Canada has a few like that. Some of the guys got pretty excited about them. Trying to capture the color in a picture is tough.

I've fished this lake pretty much my whole life. Not much in recent years at least not for walleye. The guy that caught this fish it literally out his front door. He has probably caught and released more walleye on this lake in last 5 years. Than I have in my life time. Far as I know this is first one with blue tail fin or I believe would have seen pictures.
Blue makes me think some type copper?? But I'm no scientist by anymeans.

Mac

A friend of mine caught an all blue perch last summer. No idea what causes it.

Have caught several in northern Canada, Last time there before covid. Was told by couple Canadians, have several lakes with this colar varation. What I caught had blue on there fins. Candian wildlife people flew in once and examined some of the catches. Took pics, flesh specimans, was told cold water.

Kind of like the crappie down here that look like someone took a broad point sharpie and drew a line down the top of their back

Have heard they are a cross between black and white crappie

Joke for a long time that it was the ones this old man who had caught a billion crappie had marked so he knew he had already caught that one before

In the case of the walleye I would guess genetic
Kind of like calico spots on black bass

a genetic trait left from the blue walleye?

The United States declared blue walleye an endangered species in 1967, and extinct in 1983.

They used to have a fish in Erie they called it a blue pike my dad told me they used to catch them in big numbers then something happened to them it looked just like a walleye usually a little smaller…. When you used to talk to older people they always called walleye yellow pike

Patrice dug up this pic of one I caught in Canada a few years back. He has quite a bit of blue.

Zim

I have seen it on Lake Huron Walleye

That is a beautiful fish!! I never heard of such a thing.

Have caught two this year in a Lake near me around 18". Blue as a bluebird in places at the right angle of light. Very hard to photograph well. Otherwise a steely silver color, no normal gold, yellows or browns at all. Sometimes we get bluegills the same with just a little rose in the breast.