Baked Walleye Recipe
Walleye is a popular sport fish for eating around the Great Lakes. This Baked Walleye Recipe is one of our favorite ways to prepare it. The fish turns out tender and juicy with a firm, meaty texture.
There are many ways to prepare walleye. It can be baked or grilled whole, or filleted and pan-fried, grilled, baked, or broiled. Baking is incredibly easy and brings out the flavor of the fish. Walleye has a delicate flavor, similar to that of perch and panfish.
What You Need
- Walleye Fillets: See the instruction photos below for the proper way to filet walleye.
- Lemon Slices: The lemon adds a nice flavor and prevents the fish from sticking to the baking sheet.
- Celery Salt: Celery salt adds a light herbal note that complements the fish. If you don’t have celery salt, substitute celery seed and kosher salt or sea salt, or just salt.
- Pepper: Freshly ground black pepper provides the best flavor.
How to Make it
How to Filet the Fish
Make a vertical cut halfway through the fish behind the pectoral fin (just behind the gills).
Once you’ve reached the spine, tilt the knife 90° and cut along the spine.
Continue along the spine until you reach the tail.
Once you reach the tail, stop, but don’t cut it off. This will give you something to hold on to when removing the skin.
Next, you want to remove the belly bones. Many fishermen just cut this off, but you will waste a lot of meat if you do.
Insert the knife and follow those bones closely. It will come out in one piece.
Locate the filet line bones. In most fish, you can see small black specks in a line. If you can’t see them, feel for them with your finger. Make a vertical cut very close to one side of that line all the way to the top of the filet.
Now, make a vertical cut on the other side of the line. Remove that piece of meat.
Starting at the tail end, angle your knife towards the board and the skin, and remove the skin all the way to the end.
You now have a perfectly filleted piece of fish. Notice how much meat there is on the belly portion of the filet. If you’re filleting many fish, it can add up to a lot of extra food.
How to Cook the Walleye
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Slice the lemons. Cover a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Line the sheet with the lemon slices.
Pat the fish dry with paper towels. Salt and pepper one side of the fish. Lay the fresh walleye fillets down on top of the lemon slices. Salt and pepper the second side. Drizzle them with olive oil.
We feel the fish’s flavor shines when it is minimally seasoned. Yet if you would like to season the top with bread crumbs, it adds a crunchy texture. Season panko or similar bread crumbs with salt, pepper and any herbs you’d like to use. Parsley, dill and garlic are all good.
Bake for 9-11 minutes until the fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork. The internal temperature of the fish should be 145°F in the thickest part of the filet.
Remove the fish from the oven and squeeze more fresh lemon juice over it, and garnish with fresh herbs like parsley and dill. Serve.
How to Store Leftovers
Store leftovers promptly in an airtight container. It can be kept in the fridge for 3-4 days.
To serve leftovers, reheat in the microwave for just a minute or in the air fryer for only a couple of minutes. It is also delicious cold on sandwiches and salads.
Great Side Dishes for Walleye
More Recipes for Any Fresh Seafood Lover
- Pan Fried Crappie
- Pan-Fried Perch
- Crispy Fish Batter
- Northern Pike
- Bullhead
- Steelhead
- Fried Smelt
- Rainbow Trout
- Largemouth Bass
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I hope you enjoyed the recipe today.
Enjoy. And have fun cooking!
Baked Walleye
Ingredients
- 2 pounds fresh walleye fillets
- 3 lemons
- 1 teaspoon celery salt or substitute kosher or sea salt
- ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 2 teaspoon olive oil
Instructions
- Filet the fish. See above for easy step-by-step photos
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cover the baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
- Slice one of the lemons. Lay the slices on the baking sheet. Pat the fish with paper towel to dry. Season one side of the fillet. Then arrange the fillets on top of the lemon slices.
- Season the second side. Drizzle with olive oil.
- We feel the fish’s flavor shines when it is minimally seasoned. Yet if you would like to season the top with bread crumbs, it adds a crunchy texture. Season panko or similar bread crumbs with salt, pepper and any herbs you’d like to use. Parsley, dill and garlic are all good.
- Bake for 9-11 minutes until the fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork. The internal temperature of the fish should be 145°F in the thickest part of the filet.
- Remove the fish from the oven and squeeze more fresh lemon juice over it, and garnish with fresh herbs like parsley and dill. Serve.
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Nutrition
Originally published October 31, 2025.
Recipe Name: Baked Walleye
Type: Main Course
Main Ingredients: Walleye fillets, lemon slices, celery salt, black pepper, olive oil
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Special Equipment: Rimmed baking sheet, electric fillet knife
Great For: Easy weeknight meals, Great Lakes fish dinners, seafood lovers
