Myth Busters
Does Sunlight Really Hurt Walleyes’ Eyes?

Thanks to the Internet, there’s a whirlwind of information available to anglers looking to learn more about their favorite species and, ultimately, use that knowledge to catch more fish. But this high-speed electronic pipeline of unfettered, unchecked enlightenment has its downsides. For one, not everything is true. The old adage “don’t believe everything you read” has never been more relevant.

With that in mind, let’s use science to bust a myth related to walleye vision that has festered in the fishing scene for too long: Bright Sunlight Hurts Walleyes’ Eyes.

Walleyes have amazing low-light vision, thanks to the reflective tapetum lucidum at the back of their eyes, which bounces light back to the photoreceptors to enhance their view of dark environments. This gives them a great advantage over forage species such as yellow perch and bluegills, which can’t see as well in low light—and explains why walleyes are active at when light levels are reduced, particularly times of rapidly changing light intensity. It also helps explain why many walleyes favor deeper water and jump on the chance to feed in areas where waves or other factors have reduced light penetration.

But that doesn’t mean sunlight hurts their eyes any more than other fish. Although walleyes in many situations do exhibit behavior biologists term negatively “phototactic” (that is, they move away from light), they’re not vampires. Fish hatcheries raise countless young ‘eyes each year in shallow ponds and raceways where they’re exposed to the sun, with no ill effects. And more importantly for anglers, walleyes stomachs trump their vision when it comes to location and feeding behavior. If prey is abundant and easy to catch in a clear-water, bright sun situation, walleyes will be there. They may be spooky and need to be approached with long casts and light line, but make no mistake they’ll take advantage of an underwater buffet.

The early summer shiner spawning run is a prime example. Hungry walleyes cruise shallow water scarfing up shiners by the score, and a well-placed Lindy X-Change Jig or Fuzz-E-Grub tipped with a minnow can produced phenomenal results.

Bottom line for anglers, you can catch walleyes in clear water in full sunlight. For many years, the largest walleye ever taken on the Masters Walleye Circuit—back when Lindy was a title sponsor—was plucked from Mille Lacs Lake in shallow water on a sunny day. Not to take anything away from deep water or low-light bites, but it’s smart to always consider the shallow option even on days when you need 50 SPF sunscreen to ward off third-degree burns.

Note: Special thanks to Dr. Hal Schramm for insight into this article. Dr. Schramm is leader of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Mississippi Cooperative Research Unit, a professor at Mississippi State University, and longtime Lindy friend.