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Discover Nature: Walleye

Missouri Department of Conservation

In the waning weeks of winter, one of North America’s most important game fishes begins to get active in Missouri. This week on Discover Nature, walleye are on the move. 

 

These slender, yellowish or olive-brown fish have large mouths with prominent teeth, and especially reflective eyes. 

 

Residing in large streams and reservoirs throughout the state, these nocturnal fish feed in shallow water at night, and retreat to deeper pools during the day. 

 

One of the first fish to spawn in spring, walleye move onto gravel shoals, rocky points, or along the rocky face of dams to begin their reproductive process. Here, they will deposit eggs among the rocks, and leave them to develop without any parental care. 

 

Fry eat small crustaceans and insects, and, in turn, are predated upon by many larger fish. Those that survive may grow to more than two feet in length, often becoming the “big fish” of their waters. 

 

Watch for these prized game fish as their spawning activity picks up from now through April in Missouri. 

 

Learn more about walleye with the Missouri Department of Conservation’s online field guide. 

 

Discover Nature is sponsored by the Missouri Department of Conservation.

Kyle Felling’s work at KBIA spans more than three decades. In 2025, he became KBIA and KMUC's Station Manager. He began volunteering at the station while he was a Political Science student at the University of Missouri. After being hired as a full-time announcer, he served as the long-time local host of NPR’s All Things Considered on KBIA, and was Music Director for a number of years. Starting in 2010, Kyle became KBIA’s Program Director, overseeing on-air programming and operations while training and supervising the station’s on-air staff. During that period, KBIA regularly ranked among the top stations in the Columbia market, and among the most listened to stations in the country. He was instrumental in the launch of KBIA’s sister station, Classical 90.5 FM in 2015, and helped to build it into a strong community resource for classical music. Kyle has also worked as an instructor in the MU School of Journalism, training the next generation of journalists and strategic communicators. In his spare time, he enjoys playing competitive pinball, reading comic books and Joan Didion, watching the Kansas City Chiefs, and listening to Bruce Springsteen and the legendary E Street Band.
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