Walleye and perch
Walleye
Sander vitreus.
Length to weight chart, typical size by age, and how to photograph a walleye so fishline measures it well.
- Typical top length
- 30 in
- about 10.5 lb
- A 23 inch fish
- 4.5 lb
- 4 lb 8 oz
- Age at 23 inches
- 7 to 8 years
- rough, varies by water
- Growth levels off
- about age 15
- gains slow to a crawl after
Walleye length to weight chart
Estimated weight for a walleye in average shape at each length, from the formula W = L^3.18 / 4,730 (W in pounds, L in inches). It is the same relationship fishline uses when it measures a walleye from a photo.
| Length | Weight | Rough age |
|---|---|---|
| 10 in | 0.32 lb | about 2 years |
| 12 in | 0.57 lb | 2 to 3 years |
| 14 in | 0.93 lb | about 3 years |
| 16 in | 1.4 lb | 3 to 4 years |
| 18 in | 2.1 lb | 4 to 5 years |
| 20 in | 2.9 lb | 5 to 6 years |
| 22 in | 3.9 lb | 6 to 7 years |
| 24 in | 5.2 lb | about 8 years |
| 26 in | 6.7 lb | about 10 years |
| 28 in | 8.5 lb | 13 to 14 years |
| 30 in | 10.5 lb | 15+ years |
| 32 in | 12.9 lb | 15+ years |
Total length, nose to the tip of the pinched tail. Weights are for a walleye in average shape. A fat fish, like a female before the spawn, weighs more and a thin one less, which a girth measurement picks up. Rows past 30 inches are bigger than typical for the species.
Size by age
fishline's growth model puts a typical walleye at around 30 inches when fully grown, with most of its growth done by about age 15. Younger fish add length fast; older fish mostly add weight.
Age from length is rough. Fish in warm water with plenty to eat grow faster than this, and fish in cold or crowded water grow slower. For a quick estimate from any length, use the fish age calculator.
| Age | Length | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 year | 5.4 in | 0.05 lb |
| 2 years | 9.9 in | 0.31 lb |
| 3 years | 13.5 in | 0.84 lb |
| 4 years | 16.5 in | 1.6 lb |
| 5 years | 19 in | 2.4 lb |
| 6 years | 21 in | 3.4 lb |
| 8 years | 23.9 in | 5.1 lb |
| 10 years | 25.9 in | 6.6 lb |
| 12 years | 27.3 in | 7.8 lb |
| 15 years | 28.5 in | 9.0 lb |
From a von Bertalanffy growth curve. Fish in warm, food-rich water grow faster than this and fish in cold or crowded water grow slower, so treat every row as a rough middle.
Weigh your walleye
Enter the length, and the girth if you taped it, for an estimate on your fish.
Photo tips for walleye
fishline reads length from the photo using whatever is in frame for scale, so a clean, side-on shot gives the tightest number.
- 1Mind the spiny dorsal fin and the sharp gill plates. Hold the fish level with one hand behind the head and the other under the belly near the tail.
- 2Low light is when these fish bite and when photos come out dark. Use the flash or a headlamp, because a clear outline of the fish matters more than a pretty background.
- 3A bump board or a tape laid alongside the fish gives fishline the tightest read.
More walleye and perch
Or skip the tape. Snap a photo and fishline measures it.
Species, length and weight from one photo. 5 free measurements every month.