How do I tell Zander and walleye apart?

Comparison

Zander vs walleye: how to tell them apart

How to tell Zander from walleye, with features, size, habitat and baits side by side.

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Guide sections: Fish

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Zander, side view — Zander *Sander lucioperca*

walleye, side view — walleye *Sander vitreus*

The quick difference

Walleye: The sauger (Sander canadensis) lacks the white tip on the tail and has rows of black dots on both dorsal fins and the tail (Wikipedia). The European zander is a close relative; a U.S. court ruling bars selling zander fillets as walleye (German Wikipedia).

Side by side

How to recognise it

Zander

Slim, spindle-shaped body with a pointed head
Two dorsal fins, the front one with spiny rays
Long fangs in a deeply split mouth, grey-green flanks with bands

walleye

Large, milky looking eye (a reflective layer behind the retina)
Two separate dorsal fins, the spiny front one with a dark blotch at its rear base
Olive back, golden sides with dark saddles, white tip on the lower lobe of the tail; sharp teeth

Size and age

Zanderup to 100 cm · 20.0 kg · 17 years

walleyeup to 107 cm · 11.3 kg · 29 years

Habitat

ZanderSlow-flowing rivers, canals, lakes and lagoons, preferring large waters from around four to five metres deep. Also found in the brackish water of the Baltic Sea.

walleyeNative to most of Canada and the northern United States, from Quebec to the Northwest Territories and south to Alabama and Arkansas; stocking has spread it further. Lives in large lakes, reservoirs and rivers; shallower and over rocky bottoms in spring and fall, deeper in summer (Wikipedia, FishBase).

Spawning

ZanderApril to June (general guide, varies by region)

walleyeLate winter to spring at 43 to 50 °F (6 to 10 °C) (German Wikipedia: February to April); fish run up tributaries or onto gravel and rock reefs, spawn mostly at night and give no parental care (Wikipedia, TPWD; general guide, varies by region)

Methods

ZanderLure fishing on the bottom (jigging), Bottom fishing with a bait fish, Fly fishing with a sinking line

walleyeJigging with a live minnow or soft plastic, Trolling crankbaits, Night fishing with live bait, Ice fishing in winter

Baits

ZanderSoft plastic shad, Plug (crankbait), Twister tail, Dead, slender bait fish

walleyeLive minnow, Leech, Nightcrawler, Jig with soft plastic, Crankbait

On the table

ZanderA prized food fish with firm, white, boneless fillets.

walleyeRegarded as a very good food fish.

Conservation status

ZanderGerman Red List (freshwater fish 2023): not threatened. IUCN: not threatened (Least Concern, 2022).

walleyeIUCN: not threatened (Least Concern, 2012). Because it is so popular, most agencies regulate harvest with bag and length limits (Wikipedia): check your state or provincial rules before fishing.

Sources (7)

Last checked 2026-10-23. Found a mistake? Write to [email protected].

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