Photo: Naturalist Observation, c. 1912.
Species

Walleye

North America's premier freshwater table fish (Sander vitreus) — native across most of Canada and the northern United States, but not to British Columbia, where it is an introduced species. A low-light piscivore of large lakes and rivers. In BC it has colonized the tailwater reaches of the lower Columbia and Kootenay rivers, where it is managed with high harvest quotas to relieve predation on native salmonids.

Key points

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Range: native to most of Canada and the northern U.S.; introduced (not native) in BC (source). In the Kootenays it is confined to the lower columbia river (downstream of Hugh Keenleyside Dam to the US border) and the lower Kootenay River (downstream of Brilliant Dam to its confluence with the Columbia) priority waterway profiles 2026 07.
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Feeding habits: Highly piscivorous, feeding actively on minnows, dace, and salmonid fry. They are nocturnal hunters, utilizing specialized reflective eyes to locate prey in low light.
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Tactics: Fished using jig heads tipped with soft plastics or bait, or slow-trolling crankbaits along gravel bars, current seams, and deep runs.

Fishing by region

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Regulations, seasons, and the waters to target vary by region — in the Kootenays, see Beyond Trout in the Kootenays.

Open questions

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Impact of tailwater walleye predation on migrating salmonid smolts and trout populations. #open

Related

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columbia river — main tailwater fishery.
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kootenay river — lower river habitat.
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baitfish and fry — primary forage.

Sources

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Priority Waterway Profiles — river presence.
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Wikipedia — Walleye — Canadian native range.
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