Idaho’s Walleye Problem | MidCurrent

Walleye are posing a problem to salmon and steelhead through the Snake River Basin in Idaho. And according to a new press release from the Idaho Fish & Game (IDFG), fisheries managers are asking anglers to be more vigilant in catching and killing these fish.

“For the past couple years, Idaho Fish and Game has asked – and continues to ask – anglers to harvest any walleye they catch in Idaho salmon and steelhead rivers and report the location and size of the fish to help Fish and Game better understand how this species is spreading,” the press release reads.

Walleye are now found in habitat that’s critical for rearing young salmon and steelhead, and pose a threat to those fish. Salmon and steelhead never evolved with walleye, as walleye aren’t native to the Columbia River drainage. So, salmon and steelhead don’t have any evolutionary tricks to help them escape these fish, which are highly opportunistic and predatory, especially in water where salmon and steelhead might rest as they move from freshwater to the ocean.

“One of the best tools we have as managers that could slow the expansion of walleye are anglers,” IDFG said. “Thousands of anglers fish the Snake and Salmon rivers every year, and if they killed every walleye they caught it could slow their expansion. Most anglers encounter walleye while fishing for smallmouth bass with worms, swimbaits and soft plastics. Steelhead anglers have also started reporting catching walleye while backtrolling plugs. These fish are opportunistic fish eaters, so chances are you might encounter them with anything resembling a small fish. Some hot spots are right off sandy beaches, around islands, and in back eddies where water is slower. Most have been caught at or near the bottom at varying depths.”