Has anyone caught blue walleyes in the bwca? I have a buddy who has a cabin on white iron. We were in the bar one night, and a nice old timer told us about a lake just outside of the bwca with blue walleyes. The next morning we got bait from TGO and told him what we were up to. He even confirmed the lake did have blue walleyes and splake.
Anyway we did catch 6 "blue walleyes" but no splake. This was during winter, and they turned the bucket of snow blue we had them in.
I had pics of them on my phone, but dropped it in a lake last year duck hunting:(

I’ve never caught one, that would be cool. Use the search at the top of the page. Many threads about people catching blue Walleye.

Not in the BW, but have caught a ton of them up in Quetico.

Have never caught them in the BWCA but caught them in Kawnipi in Quetico.

Anyone have any pics? I've never seen one.

Quacker1: "Anyone have any pics? I've never seen one."

I prefer the golden brown variety.
With a slight tint of lemon.

Can anyone tell me what causes this? Is it a different strain of walleye, or is it an environmental thing?

I believe it is a genetic strain.

Great pix, side by side the color difference is really apparent. If it's a genetic thing would green walleyes also be a different genetic strain?

Bottom one looks like what's stocked in Iowas rivers. They seem to get more black and gold the farther north you go

Not trying to stir up a controversy, but having never heard of such a thing I turned to google. Wikipedia claims blue walleye are not genetically different and also that they’ve been extinct since 1983?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_walleye

While the Wikipedia article has a ton of citations, it's not always the most trusted source. And I find it odd that in an article that states it is considered extinct, it then includes a picture with this caption "blue color variant of the yellow walleye." Additionally, it's not like biologists have declared an animal to be extinct only to discover it is still alive. Whatever this species or subspecies is, it clearly exists. My question is whether or not they taste any different?

Do a topic search here. Someone posted an article from the Wisc DNR or UW that explained it pretty well.

thlipsis29: "While the Wikipedia article has a ton of citations, it's not always the most trusted source. And I find it odd that in an article that states it is considered extinct, it then includes a picture with this caption "blue color variant of the yellow walleye." Additionally, it's not like biologists have declared an animal to be extinct only to discover it is still alive. Whatever this species or subspecies is, it clearly exists. My question is whether or not they taste any different?"

I can't tell the difference in the taste.

They weren't extinct in as of June 2018.

I have caught them in Kawnipi, pickeral, and on Kabby. Could not tell a difference in taste.

Everything I have heard and read is they are not genetically different than regular walleye. Just a different color phase, just like you see with Lakers even within the same lake you can have different color phases.

Sometimes you catch walleyes with almost a yellow belly others are white, other times you catch walleyes that are so dark they almost look black then you can catch ones that are very light or even a green tinge to them, this is just another color phase.

Still cool to catch.

T

We caught a few blues several years ago on Lynx Lake. The pictures don't do it justice, but when you catch one, you definitely notice the difference. They have a really cool metallic blue hue on the fins and blue sheen on the scales. Very cool.

Never caught one in the BW, but these are from Steel Lake in Ontario this spring:

A couple of blue walleyes caught this past June in Quetico. The color is most notable in the fins and tail.

AmarilloJim: "Do a topic search here. Someone posted an article from the Wisc DNR or UW that explained it pretty well."

I found this, the website of a UW biologist with a special interest in studying "blue walleye."

According to him, "Blue walleye of Canada are genetically different than the extinct 'blue pike' of Lake Erie. They are albino for yellow color and have blue color in the mucous of their skin."

So the fish that the Wikipedia page refers to as extinct, could actually be extinct. He's saying the blue fish you're still catching today are NOT the same thing as the fish that have been labelled extinct.

In this article by that same biologist, he says all walleyes actually have that blue pigment, "sandercyanin" -- the difference in the blue ones is that they LACK the yellow pigment.

I dunno, it's all confusing. To me, they're just walleye with a different color phase, end of story. Cool catch for sure!

arnesr: " A couple of blue walleyes caught this past June in Quetico. The color is most notable in the fins and tail.








"

Nice fish. That would be a really cool mount!
If you have the length and girth, I wonder if a taxidermist could do a good replica? Expand the picture and frame it under the mount.

Zwater: "Has anyone caught blue walleyes in the bwca? I have a buddy who has a cabin on white iron. We were in the bar one night, and a nice old timer told us about a lake just outside of the bwca with blue walleyes. The next morning we got bait from TGO and told him what we were up to. He even confirmed the lake did have blue walleyes and splake.
Anyway we did catch 6 "blue walleyes" but no splake. This was during winter, and they turned the bucket of snow blue we had them in.
I had pics of them on my phone, but dropped it in a lake last year duck hunting:(

"

Not here but in WCPP.

thegildedgopher: "

AmarilloJim: "Do a topic search here. Someone posted an article from the Wisc DNR or UW that explained it pretty well."

I found this, the website of a UW biologist with a special interest in studying "blue walleye."


According to him, "Blue walleye of Canada are genetically different than the extinct 'blue pike' of Lake Erie. They are albino for yellow color and have blue color in the mucous of their skin."


So the fish that the Wikipedia page refers to as extinct, could actually be extinct. He's saying the blue fish you're still catching today are NOT the same thing as the fish that have been labelled extinct.

In this article by that same biologist, he says all walleyes actually have that blue pigment, "sandercyanin" -- the difference in the blue ones is that they LACK the yellow pigment.

I dunno, it's all confusing. To me, they're just walleye with a different color phase, end of story. Cool catch for sure! "

"Walleye" Wayne Schaefer is a dear, dear friend of mine. My best friend's dad in high school, who would take us up via float plane to "study" walleye in Ontario as teenagers. I was going to post this exact link and am so happy to see that someone else found his work. I'll have to pass on that his research is reaching this messageboard. He also formed a partnership with my old high school and got high school kids involved in research. Super cool guy. Best fisherman I have ever fished with, hands down.

scotttimm: "Walleye" Wayne Schaefer is a dear, dear friend of mine. My best friend's dad in high school, who would take us up via float plane to "study" walleye in Ontario as teenagers. I was going to post this exact link and am so happy to see that someone else found his work. I'll have to pass on that his research is reaching this messageboard. He also formed a partnership with my old high school and got high school kids involved in research. Super cool guy. Best fisherman I have ever fished with, hands down."

That's cool! Small world :)

Basswood river. Couple Years ago.

This post by Troy Linder showed up on my Facebook feed today which talks about blue walleye:

https://www.facebook.com/TroyLindnerFishing/posts/1109375082544357

Zwater: "Has anyone caught blue walleyes in the bwca? I have a buddy who has a cabin on white iron. We were in the bar one night, and a nice old timer told us about a lake just outside of the bwca with blue walleyes. The next morning we got bait from TGO and told him what we were up to. He even confirmed the lake did have blue walleyes and splake.
Anyway we did catch 6 "blue walleyes" but no splake. This was during winter, and they turned the bucket of snow blue we had them in.
I had pics of them on my phone, but dropped it in a lake last year duck hunting:(

"

Resurrection:
I was doing a search for blue walleye, and came across this thread.

Joe Robinet caught two Blue Walters in Wabakimi - linked to a few seconds before he reveals his catch:
Joe - Wild in Wabakimi - ep 4 - blue walleye

And I have to say - Blue Walters aside, that area of Wabakimi, where Joe caught his fish, is stunning.

I have caught one in the BWCA… more silver than blue tho

We have caught several blue walleye on Lynx.