Pickerel

A member of the perch family, pickerels are also called walleyes, pike perch, and wall-eyed pike. They have a long, narrow body, with dark green backs, golden yellow sides, and white bellies. Their heads are long and flat, with a long protruding snout, with the lower jaw slightly longer. Young pickerel are noticably darker in colour. Their habitat can greatly affect their colouring, being lighter in shades in darker waters, and more brilliant, striking markings in clearer waters.

A pickerel's average size is 15 to 20 inches in length, and weighs up to 17 lbs.

Most commonly found in the fresh water tributaries of the St. Lawrence River, and as far north as James Bay, and as far south as Alabama, these common fish have been known to live over 20 years!

They are a popular game-fish in Ontario due to their unpredictable biting habits. Though not necessarily a spectacular fighter, they put up a steady battle when hooked, and due to their intolerance for sunlight, they tend to bore downward to the bottom of the water.

The current record for a walleye / pickerel is from 1960, caught in Old Hickory Lake, Tennessee, where a pickerel 40 inches long, 24.9 pounds was said to have been caught.