sauger
Species Facts

Science Name: Stizostedion canadense
Other Names: Sand pike, river pike, gray pike, gray pickerel, spotfin pike
Description

Description Sides are yellowish brown to gray with darker brown blotches. The spiny dorsal fin has several rows of distinct black spots. There is a black spot at the base of the pectoral fin. The tail may have a thin, white lower margin, but there is no white corner as on the walleye. The eyes have a silvery sheen and reflect light.

Hybrids Sauger often hybridize with walleye to produce the saugeye.

Table Quality Excellent; the white, flaky meat is identical to that of a walleye.

Sporting Qualities Saugers are usually caught by trolling or drifting with minnows, night crawlers or leeches. The best lures are jigs, deep running plugs an vibrating blades. Like walleyes, saugers wage a strong battle in deep water.

Habitat The eyes of a sauger are even more light-sensitive than those of a walleye, so saugers are normally found in deeper water. The best sauger populations occur in big, slow moving, muddy rivers, or large, shallow lakes with murky water. Saugers prefer water temperatures from 62° to 72°F.

Food Habits The diet consists mainly of fish, but saugers also eat aquatic insect larvae, leeches and crayfish. Their excellent night vision enables them to find food easily after dark or in deep water.

Spawning Habits Spawn in spring, normally at water temperatures of 47° to 52°F. In rivers, saugers usually migrate upstream to a dam or other barrier, then deposit their eggs over a sand or gravel bottom where there is light current. In lakes, the eggs are deposited on gravel or rubble shoals. Most spawning takes place at night. The parents do not protect the eggs or fry.

Age and Growth Saugers grow more slowly and are shorter-lived than walleyes. The maximum age is about 13 years.

Tips for Fishing

Jigs, minnows, or crankbaits fished near the bottom are often productive. Tailwaters below dams on the Ohio River and major tributaries are the best areas. Late fall and early spring are the most productive times.