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What Is the Walleye Limit in 2023? (State-By-State Guide)

What Is the Walleye Limit in 2023? (State-By-State Guide)

The walleye is one of America’s most popular gamefish and a species found in most US states. 

As many anglers wonder about the different states’ bag and size limits for walleye, I did some research and wrote this complete state-by-state guide on the walleye limits for 2023. 

If you’re wondering how many fish you can keep in the state you’re fishing or how big a walleye must be for you to take it home, this article has all the answers for you!

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Alabama

In the state of Alabama, the daily bag limit for walleye is 2 fish. There is no minimum size limit for walleye in Alabama. 

For sauger, the daily bag limit is 5 fish, and the minimum size limit is 15 inches. 

Please note that several waters have special catch-and-release-only regulations for walleye. For more detailed information, please visit Alabama Fishing

Please also note that Alabama Fishing has announced that “bag limits have not been finalized and are subject to change pending final review.”

Arizona

Arizona has a daily bag limit of 6 fish for walleye. The possession limit is 12 fish. There is no minimum size limit for walleye in this state.

For more detailed information and special regulations, please check the Arizona Game and Fish Department Fishing Regulations Guide.

Arkansas

You can catch both walleye, sauger, and saugeye in the state of Arkansas.

The daily limit for walleye is 6 fish, and the possession limit is 18 fish.

The daily limit for sauger and saugeye is 6 fish each, and the possession limit is 18 fish each.

There is no statewide minimum size limit for either of the three species.

There are, however, waters with special regulations in Arkansas. 

Please check the sections Regulations for Arkansas Lakes and Regulations for Flowing Waters at Arkansas Fishing for more detailed information. 

Colorado

You can catch both walleye, sauger, and saugeye in the state of Colorado.

There is a daily bag and possession limit of 5 fish (in aggregate) for all three species. 

On Arkansas and South Fork of Republican River drainages, the daily bag and possession limit for walleye, sauger, and saugeye is instead 10 fish (in aggregate).  

There is no statewide minimum size limit for either of the three species.

On the other hand, there are quite a few waters with special fishing regulations in Colorado.

Please visit the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Colorado Fishing Guide for more detailed information. 

Connecticut

In Connecticut, the daily bag limit for walleye is 2 fish, and the minimum size limit is 18 inches.

The walleye season in Connecticut is open year-round, except in areas closed to fishing during specific times of the year. 

For more detailed information, please visit Connecticut Fishing

Delaware

As the walleye is an introduced, non-native fish in Delaware, there are no bag, possession, or size limits for this species here.

The walleye fishing season in Delaware is open year-round.

Georgia

The daily bag limit for walleye in the state of Georgia is 8 fish. 

Check out Georgia Fishing for more information and possible special regulations.

Idaho

Walleye aren’t native to Idaho and are absent from most waters in the state.

There are, however, a few select water bodies that legally hold smaller populations of walleye, and anglers are allowed to target the species in these waers. They include:

  • Salmon Falls Creek Reservoir
  • Oakley Reservoir
  • Oneida Narrows Reservoir

You can read up on the topic of walleye in Idaho here.

Illinois

a US angler with his daughter fishing for walleye in Illinois
Courtesy of Dan Yager

You can catch both walleye, sauger, and saugeye in the state of Illinois. 

The daily bag limit for all three species in 6 fish (single or combined) and the minimum size limit for all three species is 14 inches.

Please note that these limits do not apply to the Mississippi River and Wabash River systems. 

Other waters in Illinois also have special regulations for walleye, sauger, and saugeye.

Please check the Illinois Fishing Regulation Information for more details. 

Indiana

You can fish for both walleye, sauger, and saugeye in the state of Indiana. 

The daily bag limit for all three species is 6 fish (in any combination). The minimum size limit for walleye is 14 inches south of State Road 26 and 16 inches north of State Road 26.

There are no minimum size limits for sauger or saugeye.

Please note that certain waters in Illinois have special regulations for walleye, sauger, and saugeye fishing.

You can visit Indiana Fishing for more detailed information

Iowa

Iowa is home to both walleye, sauger, and saugeye.

The combines daily bag limit for these three species is 5 fish and the combined possession limit is 10 fish.

There are no minimum size limits for these species.

Please note that several waters in Iowa have special regulations for walleye, sauger, and saugeye.

You can find out more by visiting Iowa General Resources

Kansas

You can catch both walleye, sauger, and saugeye in the state of Kansas.

The daily bag limit for all three species is 5 fish (single or in combination), and the minimum size limit for all three species is 15 inches. 

Please note that the minimum size limit of 15 inches for all three species does not apply to rivers, streams, and tailwaters.

Furthermore, several water bodies in Kansas have special regulations for walleye, sauger, and saugeye.

For more information, please visit the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks’ Fishing Regulations section

Kentucky

a happy angle rholding a nice Kentucky walleye
Courtesy of Bridger Shoemaker

Kentucky is home to both walleye, sauger, and saugeye.

The daily bag limit for all three species is 6 fish (single or combined) and the possession limit for all three species is 12 fish (single or combined).

The minimum length limit for both walleye, sauger, and saugeye is 14 inches.

Please be aware that certain water bodies in the state of Kentucky have special regulations for walleye, sauger, and saugeye fishing. 

You can get more detailed information about these waters by visiting Kentucky Fishing

Maryland

The daily bag limit for walleye in Maryland is 5 fish, and the possession limit is 10 fish. The minimum size limit for Maryland walleye is 15 inches. 

Please note that a few select Maryland waters have special regulations concerning size limits and closed seasons. 

You can visit Maryland Fishing for more detailed information about these waters. 

Massachusetts

The daily bag limit for walleye in Massachusetts is 5 fish, and there is a minimum size limit of 14 inches. 

For more detailed information on walleye fishing in Massachusetts, please visit the Mas.gov Freshwater Fishing Regulations section.

Michigan

Michigan has a minimum size limit of 15 inches and a daily possession limit of 5 walleye.

Please note: Different minimum size limits and daily possession limits apply for specific areas in the Great Lakes and certain other waters in the state of Michigan.

For more detailed information, please visit the Michigan Fishing Guide (General fishing regulations: pages 12-14)

Minnesota

a Minnesota walleye caught on a crankbait
Courtesy of Justin Neu

Minnesota has got the best walleye fishing waters in the entire country. Apart from walleye, you can also catch sauger, and saugeye in this state.

The statewide regulations for inland waters and Lake Superior include a possession limit of 6 fish (combined total) with no more than 1 walleye larger than 20 inches.

Minnesota also has waters with special walleye, sauger, and saugeye fishing regulations.

For more detailed information, please visit the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ Fishing Regulations section

Missouri

Walleye and sauger have a combined daily limit of 4 and a combined possession limit of 8 fish. The statewide minimum size limit for walleye and sauger is 15 inches.

For more detailed information, please check the Missouri Department of Conservation’s Walleye and Sauger Regulations section.

Please note that there are special area regulations for various waters in Missouri!

You can learn more about these special regulations for walleye and sauger here.

Montana

Montana has a combined daily limit of 5 and a combined possession limit of 10 walleye and sauger. 

However, daily and possession limits and minimum size limits may vary between the state’s Eastern, Central, and Western fishing districts.

Please visit the Montana Fishing Regulations Guide for more detailed information about the state’s various fishing districts.

Nebraska

You can catch both walleye, sauger, and saugeye in the state of Nebraska.

These three species have a combined bag limit of 4 and a combined possession limit of 8 fish.

Additionally, Nebraska has a statewide 15-inch minimum and a maximum of 1 fish of 22 inches or longer length limit.

Please note that bag, possession, and length limit exceptions exist for a few select rivers, lakes, and reservoirs.

For more detailed information, please visit the Nebraska Game and Parks Fishing Guide.

Nevada

This state has a fairly unique bag limit for game fish in general, meaning that the number of walleye in your bag and possession can vary between different water bodies and regions.

Nevada has a Western, Southern, and Eastern fishing region, so carefully going through the different regional regulations is advised!

You can find all the information and regulations on the state’s fishing regions here.

New Hampshire

New Hampshire has a statewide bag limit of 2 walleye and a minimum size limit of 18 inches. 

The only exception in the state is the Connecticut River, which has special walleye regulations.

Here, no angler is allowed to take walleye between 16 and 18 inches. Furthermore, the daily limit is 4 fish, and 1 fish can be larger than 18 inches. 

Please check the New Hampshire Fish and Game’s walleye section for more information. 

New Jersey

New Jersey’s statewide regulation for walleye includes a 3-fish daily limit and an 18-inch minimum size limit.

Please note that this state has a catch-and-release-only policy for walleye between March 1st and April 30th!

Visit New Jersey Freshwater Fishing for more detailed information on fishing regulations. 

New Mexico

The state of New Mexico has a bag limit of 5 and a possession limit of 10 walleye. 

Please visit the New Mexico Game and Fish Warm Water Regulations section for more detailed information. 

New York

a predator angler on his boat holding a big New York walleye
Courtesy of Marcus Johnson

The open season for walleye fishing in the state of New York is between May 1st and March 15th. There is a 5-fish daily limit and a 15-inch minimum size limit.

However, special walleye fishing regulations may apply for the state’s nine different fishing regions and various rivers and lakes (such as the tidal Hudson River, the Finger Lakes, the Great Lakes, and other border waters).

For more detailed information on statewide regulations and special rules for lakes and rivers, please visit New York Fishing.

North Carolina

Most public waters in North Carolina have no size limit and a daily bag limit of 8 fish for walleye. 

There are a few exceptions with special regulations:

  • Lake James and tributaries
  • Linville River upstream from N.C. 126 bridge
  • Lake Gaston
  • Roanoke Rapids Reservoir
  • John H. Kerr Reservoir

Please check the North Carolina Fishing warm water fishing regulations section for more detailed information.

North Dakota

You can catch walleye, sauger, and saugeye in the state of North Dakota. There is a statewide daily limit of 5 and a possession limit of 10 fish (single or in combined).

Please note that, in Spiritwood and Alkali Lake, zander are included in the combination mentioned above.

There are also a few waters with special regulations regarding daily and possession limits and catch-and-release-only fishing.

Please check the North Dakota Fishing Regulations Guide for more information. 

Ohio

Ohio has a statewide daily walleye limit of 6 fish. There is no possession limit here, so taking home multiple days’ catches is fine.

There are special walleye regulations for the following waters and border waters:

  • Lake Erie and tributaries
  • Ohio River
  • Various inland lakes, rivers, reservoirs, and streams

Please visit the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ Fishing Regulations Section for more detailed information on site-specific regulations.

Oklahoma

You can fish for walleye, sauger, and saugeye in Oklahoma. There is a statewide daily limit of 6 fish (combined) and a minimum size limit of 14 inches for all three species.

Various public fishing waters in Oklahoma also have special daily and size limits, so check the special regulations for your target water.

You can find more detailed information on all the specific regulations in the Oklahoma Fishing Special Regulations section

Oregon

In Oregon, walleye are only found in the Willamette, Columbia, and Snake Rivers. 

Typically, walleye have no bag or size limits in these waters. 

Please visit the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife for more detailed information. 

Pennsylvania

For walleye and saugeye, Pennsylvania has a daily bag limit of 6 fish and a minimum size limit of 15 inches.

For sauger, the daily bag limit is 6 fish, and the minimum size limit is 12 inches. 

The open season for all three species runs from January 1st through March 14th and May 6th through December 31st.

Special regulations may apply for various lakes, rivers, and reservoirs in Pennsylvania.

For more detailed information, please visit the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission Fishing Regulations section

Rhode Island

The state of Rhode Island doesn’t have a bag or possession limit for walleye. Additionally, there is no closed season for this species. 

For more detailed information and waters with special regulations, please visit Rhode Island Freshwater Fishing

South Carolina

Statewide regulations apply for walleye and sauger fishing in South Carolina. 

There is no minimum size limit and a total possession limit (per angler per day) of no more than 8 fish (combined total of walleye and sauger).

You can visit South Carolina Fishing for more detailed information on fishing regulations and fishing on state lakes. 

South Dakota

a happy female angler holding a huge south dakota walleye
Courtesy of Evan Rosemore

You can catch both walleye, sauger, and saugeye in the state of South Dakota.

There is a daily bag limit of 4 fish, and only one of those shall have a length of more than 20 inches (of a combination of walleye, sauger, and saugeye). The possession limit for all three species is 8. 

Please note that several South Dakota waters have special walleye, sauger, and saugeye length regulations. 

For more information, please visit South Dakota Game, Fish, and Parks and the South Dakota Fishing Handbook.

Tennessee

You can fish for both walleye, sauger, and saugeye in the state of Tennessee.

For walleye, there is a 5-fish daily bag limit, a 10-fish possession limit, and a 16-inch minimum size limit.

For sauger and saugeye, there is a 10-fish daily bag limit, a 20-fish possession limit, and a 15-inch minimum size limit. 

Please note that several waters in Tennessee have special regulations for walleye, sauger, and saugeye.

You can find more information on these special regulations by visiting the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency

Texas

Walleye are mostly found in the northern parts of Texas. The state has a 5-fish daily bag limit, a 10-fish possession limit, and no minimum size limit for these two species.

The same daily bag and possession limit apply to saugeye.

However, out of those 5 fish, only 2 can be less than 16 inches in length!

Please visit the Texas Parks and Wildlife Freshwater Bag and Length Limit section

Utah

Utah has a daily bag limit of 10 walleye. Of these 10 fish, only 1 can be over 24 inches. There is no general minimum size limit for walleye in this state.

Please note that some Utah waters have special regulations for walleye fishing. 

For more detailed information, please visit the Utah Fishing Guidebook

Vermont

The walleye season in Vermont is open between the first Saturday in May and March 15th.

There is a daily bag limit of 3 fish and a minimum size limit of 18 inches for walleye.

Special size and daily limit regulations may apply to several of the state’s lakes and rivers.

Please visit Vermont Fishing for more detailed information. 

Virginia

You can catch both walleye, sauger, and saugeye in the state of Virginia. 

For walleye and saugeye, there is a daily bag limit of 5 fish per day in the aggregate and a minimum size limit of 18 inches.

Exceptions with special regulations include:

  • Claytor Lake
  • New River (upstream to Fries Dam in Grayson County)

For those exceptions, the daily bag limit is 2 fish per day. No walleye shall have a length between 19 and 28 inches. 

For sauger, the statewide daily bag limit is 2 fish. No length limits apply. 

Please visit Virginia Fishing for more detailed information about creel and length limits. 

Washington

For walleye in lakes, ponds, and reservoirs, there is a daily bag limit of 8 fish and a minimum size limit of 12 inches. 

Please note that only 1 walleye over 22 inches may be retained.

There are no daily bag and size limits in rivers, streams, and beaver ponds. 

For more detailed information about the fishing regulations in Washington state, please visit Washington Fishing

West Virginia

You can catch both walleye, sauger, and saugeye in the state of West Virginia. 

For walleye, the daily bag limit is 8 fish, and the possession limit is 16. There are no minimum size limits.

For sauger and saugeye, the daily limit is 8 fish, and 10 fish for rivers (in any combination). 

The possession limit is 16 fish for lakes and 20 fish for rivers (in any combination).

No minimum size limits apply for sauger or saugeye. 

Please note that special regulations apply to a few select lakes and rivers in West Virginia.

Please check the West Virginia DNR Fishing Regulations for detailed information about those special regulations.

Wisconsin

You can catch both walleye, sauger, and saugeye in the state of Wisconsin.

The statewide daily bag limit is 5 fish (in total).

However, several regions and territories in Wisconsin have special walleye, sauger, and saugeye fishing regulations. These include (but may not be limited to):

Please find more detailed information in the Guide to Wisconsin Hook and Line Fishing Regulations.

Wyoming

You can catch walleye and sauger in the state of Wyoming. 

The statewide daily bag limit is 6 fish for walleye and 2 fish for sauger. There are no statewide minimum size limits.

Instead, special bag and size limits apply to the state’s fishing areas 1 to 5.

Please visit Wyoming Fishing for statewide creel limits and area-specific regulations. 


Disclaimer: strikeandcatch.com assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions of the presented information. The information contained in this article is provided on an “as is” basis with no guarantees of completeness, accuracy, usefulness, or timeliness.


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Ugly Stik GX2 Medium 6’6” Spinning Rod

A solid and popular all-round spinning rod! The Ulgy Stick is lightweight, has great sensitivity, and phenomenal action. Fits both beginners and seasoned anglers. A 6’6” or 7′ Medium rod is your best pick for walleyes.

Pflueger President 30 Spinning Reel

An affordable high-performance spinning reel that’s perfect for walleye. Pflueger spells high quality and awesome durability! Makes for a great combo together with Ugly Stick. A Size 30 or 35 is a solid choice for walleye!

Power Pro Braid

One of the best braids available today! Zero stretch, great feel, and immense strength make this line the perfect pick for walleye in both open and snaggy waters. Put on a 10 to 20 lb test, and you’re good to go!

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