Walleye vs Sauger
The check that settles it
Sauger has distinct rows of dark spots on the spiny dorsal fin membrane and no white tail tip. Walleye is the reverse.
Why this matters beyond curiosity
- Look-alike species often carry different limits. Walleye and sauger, black and white crappie, pike and muskie, blue and channel catfish — each pair can have different sizes, seasons and daily limits in the same water.
- Check it before the fish goes in the livewell. Most of the tests on this site take seconds and are far easier on a fish you are still holding.
- If you cannot tell, release it. That is the answer that is never wrong, and it is the one a warden will not argue with.
- Regulations are set by your state or province and change annually. This site identifies fish; it does not tell you the rules. Check the current regulations for the water you are on.
Walleye
Perch familySander vitreus
- Markings
- mottled
- Body
- torpedo
- Typical size
- 1–8 lb
- Regulations
- Walleye and sauger frequently have different limits, and their hybrid — the saugeye — is stocked in many waters and is often regulated as one or the other. Check your state.
Sauger
Perch familySander canadensis
- Markings
- mottled, spotted fins
- Body
- torpedo
- Typical size
- 0.5–3 lb
- Regulations
- Often has a lower limit than walleye, and in some rivers is protected. The fin spots are the check to make before keeping one.
Confirming a walleye
- White tip on the lower lobe of the tail. Sauger lacks this.
- A dark blotch at the rear base of the spiny dorsal fin, but no rows of spots on the fin membrane.
- Large glassy eyes that reflect a torch beam.
- Two completely separate dorsal fins and obvious canine teeth.
Confirming a sauger
- Rows of distinct black spots across the spiny dorsal fin membrane.
- No white tip on the lower tail lobe.
- Dark saddle-shaped blotches across the back.
- Generally smaller than walleye and more strongly associated with rivers.