Author: Anna Gurney
They’re not talked about as much as other sportfish species here in North Carolina, but walleye numbers and angler success stories are on the upswing! Survey results from Lake James and Lake Hiwassee, along with angler reports, suggest that walleye populations are on the rebound in mountain reservoirs.
North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) has been managing walleye for more than 70 years and working since 2000 to increase walleye numbers through a robust hatchery-reared stocking program.
“Without consistent stocking, many native, long-standing, and culturally important walleye fisheries would be greatly diminished,” said Mountain Region Aquatic Habitat Restoration Coordinator Scott Loftis.
Before 2000, walleye populations in mountain reservoirs were self-sustaining, and thus, there was no need to supplement the populations. But, mainly due to impacts from illegally introduced invasive species (such as white perch, alewife, and blueback herring), walleye populations declined. So, NCWRC began supplementing the populations with hatchery-reared fish.
This year, NCWRC production staff have stocked over half a million walleye fingerlings. Over the past six years, more than 3,207,000 walleye fingerlings (1–2 inches) were stocked. Walleye stocking numbers have dramatically increased since 2019 due to the expanded production efforts at Table Rock, Watha, and McKinney Lake state fish hatcheries that have been working to maximize available pond space.
“These production efforts are making a difference,” said District 8 Fisheries Biologist David Goodfred. “For example, in the past six years, the average number of female and male walleyes collected during spring brood fish surveys in the Catawba River above Lake James increased by 404% and 227%, respectively. The increase in brood fish numbers appears to correlate to the stocking rate increase of walleye fingerlings into Lake James since 2019.”
Stocking rates have also increased for Lake Fontana, Lake Hiwassee, and Lake Glenville. NCWRC currently stocks these reservoirs with walleye fingerlings each May and conducts walleye population surveys each fall.
Interested in Fishing for Walleye?
Walleye are fun to catch and offer tasty table fare. They can be harvested year-round with appropriate angling techniques. Anglers generally use spinning gear and ice jigs when fishing for walleye. Trolling can work but it takes specialized gear.
“Walleye strike jigs very lightly and it can take quite a bit of practice to notice the strikes," said District 9 Fisheries Biologist Powell Wheeler. "They can be caught in different habitats at different times of the year. This species makes a spawning run up tributary rivers in early spring, and some anglers target them there. But most walleye fishing occurs deep in the lake. Some anglers catch them at depths of nearly 100 feet.”
"Walleye tend to grow very quickly up here. They start getting caught when they are 12 or 14 inches long and generally anglers never catch smaller ones. If they are big enough to catch, they are big enough to keep."
Walleye regulations can be found in NCWRC’s 2024-25 Regulations Digest.
Watch NCWRC’s Better Fishing with Two Bald Biologists fishing podcast on Walleye.
An article about walleye will be featured in the March/April issue of Wildlife in North Carolina Magazine.