Walleye, sauger, and perch belong to the same family of fish. As members of the perch family, they are excellent for eating. Knowing the differences between the perch is needed for legal harvesting. The amount of fish and size varies by location.

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It is easy to mistake the walleye and sauger for beginners. The fish are very close in appearance to the untrained eye. Add in the saugeye and it is tough for people with experience. The good news is there are defining characteristics for each fish.

Walleye

A walleye ranges from dark olive-brown to a yellow-gold color. The sides appear to have brassy flecks also. The walleye lacks spots on the dorsal fin but does have a dark mark at the base on the rear. The lower tip of the tailfin has white which stands out. The other fish do not have a white-tipped tail fin.

Notice the white-tipped tail fin.

Walleyes are the largest member of the perch family of fish. These fish tend to weigh 1-2 pounds when at a harvestable size. On rare occasions, a walleye can exceed 10 pounds. In most areas, a 3-5 pound walleye is a nice-sized fish. Contrary to some people’s beliefs, the walleye is not related to the pike family.

Sauger

A sauger is more slender and smaller than a walleye. In addition, the sauger does not have a white-tipped tail fin. The dorsal fin has spots and no marking at the rear base of the fin. The sauger is the same in other aspects of appearance. Both have large eyes that reflect at night. Yet, a sauger does see better in some conditions, in darkness and turbid waters.

Spots on the dorsal fin and no white on the tail fin.

Saugers are excellent table fare. The popularity is lower due to the small size. Saugers are usually not stocked or managed to the same degree as walleye.

Saugeye

The saugeye is a hybrid of the walleye and sauger. This makes identifying the fish difficult for most people. In most regions, it has a harvestable size of the walleye. If the fish has a clear dorsal fin or white tip on the tail treat it as a walleye. The average person cannot tell the difference between a saugeye and a walleye or sauger.

Perch

The perch is considered a panfish by many people. This is not true from a biological view. In other aspects, it does tend to have some habits like panfish. It is a small fish that tends to be slightly thicker than a walleye or sauger. They are excellent table fare also. All members of the perch family are very tasty.

A perch has the spiny fins and larger eyes of a walleye. They do lack the canine teeth found in walleye and sauger. Perch comes in golden or yellow color with vertical bars. The number of bars will be 6-9 nine on the sides. The perch is common in most of North America.

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Conclusion The Perch Family of Fish

The walleye, sauger, and perch are all in the same family. Each has distinct characteristics to identify the species. These fish are common and excellent table fare.