Canada Walleye Length/Weight Correlation

[Mojo-NC]

I've brought up this topic before and now I have a little more data to support my conclusion that Canada walleye are either smaller than their US counterparts or the length/weight charts are incorrect or embellished.

I just returned from Canada this week and measured and weighed a lot of fish while I was there. When comparing to various charts from Northland Tackle and others online, my measurements are always lower. Below are actual measurements as compared with the ruler that can be purchased from Northland Tackle. An interesting note, the fall fish weights do not differ significantly from spring weights that I've measured previously. My weights are averages from a bunch of fish caught at each length.

Actual vs. NT Ruler
15.5" = 1.07# ---
16" = 1.21# 1.5#
17" = 1.64# 1.8#
18" = 1.74# 2.2#
18.5" = 1.88# ---
19" = 2.09# 2.5#
19.5" = 2.16# ---
20" = 2.22# 3.0#
21" = 2.73# 3.4#
22" = 2.96# 3.9#
23" = 3.23# 4.5#
24" = 3.59# 5.1#

[Lmbkiller]

Different lakes/resivoirs will/can have different condition factors for walleyes or any fish for that matter. Depends on many factors, food, water chemistry, latitude, male vs female, etc. Those weight length ratios on them rulers are simply “guidelines”. Yours are actual for the body of water u took them from. U could do same experiment on a lake 10mi away from the one u were on and they would probably be different

[Mojo-NC]

Yeah, I get that. Even though these numbers all came from the same lake last week, they seem to be consistent with other lakes that we've fished in and around the Lac Seul area. Does anyone have any actual length/weight measurements from some of the larger lakes in NW Ontario such as LOTW, Lac Seul, or Eagle. I'd be interested in seeing how they correlate.

[KSjim]

My experience on many different lakes in NW Ontario would lead me to vote that the charts are embellished.

[martinbns]

Walleye in really big bodies of water grow to huge sizes, Erie, Lake Winnipeg, south basin of LOTW. They travel around chasing schools of bait fish rather than hanging around structure in the Cdn shield lakes.

My next door neighbour caught a 27" 15.4 lb walleye a couple of years ago in Lake Winnipeg, fattest fish I've ever seen, that length of fish in NW Ont is 7-9 pounds max.

[Pooch]

Body of water and forage base determines girth. Fish in Canada are much older than fish south of the border and that seems to make them thinner. Every body of water in Canada that we fish has different weight vs length ratio. One of the most girthy and gorgeous walleye I've ever seen came out of Lac Suel a couple years ago. If we would have weighed it, I'm sure it would have been 50% heavier for it's size than any walleye from any lake I've seen in Ontario. It was truly a PIG. Especially for that far north.

As far as the charts? I don't thank they are all that far off in general, but they do seem to error on the heavy side if you are sizing most, but not all Canadian lakes. Again, IMO it's all about the forage base.

Pooch

[Fishwitit]

If you want fat walleye in NWO, you need to fish the ones that eating Cisco’s, not the fish on structure. Pelagic fish like Cisco’s/tulibee/lake herring, all the same species are easier to digest and provide way more caloric intake. There is a catch 22 though. You won’t have a100 walleye day doing this.

[Lmbkiller]

Big water equals big fish. The nature of my employment has allowed me to weigh 1000s upon 1000s of walleyes, at the end of the day if u want big fish, fish big water. In the end that's what will get u the biggest fish

[Bill Krejca]

Originally Posted by Lmbkiller

Different lakes/resivoirs will/can have different condition factors for walleyes or any fish for that matter. Depends on many factors, food, water chemistry, latitude, male vs female, etc. Those weight length ratios on them rulers are simply “guidelines”. Yours are actual for the body of water u took them from. U could do same experiment on a lake 10mi away from the one u were on and they would probably be different

What he said.

Bill