Can You Eat Walleye? Are They Good to Eat?

Fishing for walleye is a lot of fun, but ask any angler, and they’ll probably tell you that eating walleye is even more enjoyable. 

There’s nothing quite like a fresh walleye fillet to get you hooked on walleye fishing for life. 

Lots of people wonder, “Can you eat walleye?” and the answer is – absolutely. Walleye is not only delicious, but it also has many health benefits. 

Angler’s Note: Having spent countless hours on the water targeting walleye, I’ve added some recipes here that might be useful for you to enjoy the flavors of this prized fish.

What Are Walleye?

Walleye are fish, also known as yellow pike, or pickerel in Canada, that can be found throughout much of the United States and Canada. 

This fish has a deep golden color and a white stomach, along with two back dorsal fins and large, silvery eyes. 

The walleye is a freshwater fish in the perch family. It’s not only a popular fish to go after, but it’s also commonly stocked. Long and thin, this fish has a large mouth and sharp teeth.

This fish is aptly named, with eyes that point outward (as if it was looking at the walls). 

It can grow up to 31 inches in length and weigh up to 20 lbs, although you likely won’t catch walleye this large (nor will they be that great for eating at this size).

Walleye is a highly palatable freshwater fish and is often fished for recreationally and commercially. 

You can fish for walleye throughout the year (even through the ice using lures). Walleye meat is white, mild-tasting, and tender. If you’ve never had it before, it will taste a bit like flounder.

Can You Eat Walleye?

Walleye and Mercury

Like many other fish, walleye are exposed to mercury. Walleye are predatory fish so they do feed on smaller fish (who have mercury in their systems, too). 

It’s hard for a fish’s body to naturally get rid of these toxins, and so they naturally accumulate over time. Fish that are larger and older tend to have higher levels of mercury. 

If you’re pregnant or part of another population of people that needs to be careful about mercury consumption, you may want to stay away from walleye for the time being. 

Also keep in mind that if you are going to try walleye then always go for the smaller fish if possible. Here is a useful article showing the mercury levels of different fish.

Walleye Skin and Bones

You can either skin your walleye or you can leave the skin on. Generally, most people recommend considering how you will be preparing the walleye before you decide whether to skin or not to skin.

If you are deep-frying, you may want to remove the skins, while pan-frying works best when the skins are left on. 

The same goes for the bones. Some people argue that the bones and skin of walleye add flavor, and other advocates say that it takes too long to skin and bone the walleye out.

The choice is up to you – consider your preferences and don’t worry about anything else. It’s safe either way.

Removing bones from walleye is not complicated. You’ll skin your fish first before cutting a notch at about 45 degrees into the tail. Do this on either side of the lateral line bones.

Hold your fillet vertically from the tail and, starting at the notch, pull down gently on the side of the fillet. It will peel away easily on one side. 

You can then repeat this with the other side, leaving you with the separated backbone and boneless pieces of meat. 

If you decide to leave the bones in your walleye, just be careful as you eat around them. 

Related: Best Walleye Jigging Rods

Size

When you’re selecting walleye fillets for the frying pan, always shoot for those that are smaller. 

Smaller fillets cook better, even though it’s tempting to throw a massive, juicy fillet down on the grill after a long day of fishing. 

However, it’s easy to over – or under-cook too-large fillets. They don’t cook up as well as smaller fillets and can often be overcooked on the outside while they’re undercooked on the inside. 

Go for a walleye that is about 14 to 18 inches long. That will give you enough fish to make it feel like it’s worth your time, but the fillet won’t be so big that it’s unpalatable or unsafe, either. 

Health Benefits of Walleye

Walleye is not only quite tasty – but it’s quite good for you, too. It contains a valuable source of protein, which, as you know, is necessary to build and repair various parts of the body. 

Walleye is also a good source of healthy fats or omega-3 fatty acids. These are necessary to boost your brain development and support good heart health. 

Walleye also contains vitamin D, which works with calcium to keep your bones strong. It’s one of the few food sources of vitamin D (much of your vitamin D intake comes from the sun). 

Walleye Recipes

If you just brought home a massive haul of walleye and aren’t sure how to cook it, don’t worry. There are plenty of options, and not all of them involve a frying pan. 

Chefs and other culinary experts often refer to walleye as the ideal fish, more of a blank slate than anything else.

Why, you might ask? 

For starters, walleye are pretty bland on their own. Since they are so mild-tasting (they don’t have the strong flavors that other fish have) they can be colored with any kind of spices you’d like.

Last update on 2025-09-17 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

They also go well with practically any kind of side dish. 

Walleye is one of the most popular fish species when it comes to restaurant menus because they are so easy to cook. 

There are several ways you can cook walleye, including simply dusting the fillets with flour before pan-frying them with oil.

Once the fillets are browned, you can flip them over and paste with melted butter. Walleye cooks pretty quickly – usually, at a rate of seven minutes per inch of thickness. 

How much heat you are using will, of course, play a role, but generally, it will cook pretty fast. 

Pan-Seared Walleye Recipe

This is a great way to cook not only walleye but pretty much any other type of white fish as well. 

It can be made with simple lemon-pepper seasoning, parsley, and butter, but you could also substitute seasonings like cajun spice, garlic, and more. 

The recipe can be found here. When your fish are done, they’ll go well on potatoes, vegetables, or even on sandwiches.

Honey-Fried Walleye

If you think the best way to serve fish is slathered in a thick batter and served with French fries, you won’t find a better recipe than this honey-fried walleye.

It’s a little bit sweet and very savory, to say the least! 

Grilled Walleye

Another simple, uncomplicated way to cook walleye fillets is to simply grill them. This recipe doesn’t really need a method because it is so simple to do! 

You can make a simple herb butter and brush it on your fish before grilling them for two minutes.

After two minutes, flip the fillets and cook for one more minute. Add a few more sprinkles of herbs until you achieve the desired flavor. That’s all there is to it! 

Jalapeno Walleye Cakes

If you’re looking for a walleye recipe that’s sure to impress your dinner guests, you should consider this fun dinner recipe. 

Jalapeno walleye cakes don’t take very long to make – and their spicy, complex flavors will do the trick no matter what the main course might be. Here’s the recipe. 

Coconut Crusted Walleye

This Asian-inspired dish is a great way to cook walleye that goes beyond the ordinary. You’ll use unsweetened coconut milk to make a crispy coating on walleye fillets. 

You’ll then serve it up with broccoli and mandarin orange sauce. Delicious! You can find the recipe here.

Other Ways to Eat Walleye

Of course, there are plenty of other ways to cook walleye, too, most of which are viewed as “classic” methods of cooking fish. 

You can pan-fry or deep-fry your walleye. Even people who claim not to like the taste of fish will probably like this option! You can also bake, broil, grill, or roast your walleye. 

One other tried and tested technique for cooking and eating walleye? 

Wrap your walleye in tin foil after drizzling the fillets with oil or butter and adding some salt and pepper. 

You can then steam them in an oven set to 400 degrees. In less than ten minutes, you’ll have picture-perfect walleye ready for the dinner table!

Is Walleye Safe to Eat? 

If you’re wondering whether it’s safe to keep and eat your catch of the day, don’t worry – walleye is fine to eat as long as certain people at high risk take precautions.

Believe it or not, walleye are some of the healthiest fish you can find. They not only provide you with a ton of protein and healthy fat, but they’re pretty easy to catch, too – as long as you know what you’re doing. 

While there are some risks to consuming walleye – namely, the mercury consumption – ultimately the health benefits far outweigh the risks. 

There are some places where walleye consumption has been warned against, though, so make sure you check your local fishing and health department regulations to make sure walleye are safe to eat where you are. 

Otherwise, heat that frying pan up – and enjoy!

Last update on 2025-09-17 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Sharing is caring!