Best Fishing Line For Walleye – 2023 Buyers Guide
Walleye are one of the most sought-after game fish in the US and Canada. Walleye are typically found in lakes, pools, backwaters, and runs of medium to large rivers.
Walleye are highly successful predatory fish, this is largely the reason why you will need the best fishing line for walleye. They have keen eyesight and can spot prey fish, lures, and bait in low light conditions, at night, dawn and dusk.
Best Fishing Line For Walleye at a Glance
- Berkley X9 Crystal Fishing Line (Best Braid For Walleye)
- KastKing Superpower Braid
- Piscifun Onyx Advanced Superline Braid
- Berkley Trilene Fluoro (Best Fluoro For Walleye)
- RUNCL PowerFluoro Hybrid Fishing Line
- Seaguar Invizx
- Stren High Impact Mono (Best Mono For Walleye)
- KastKing DuraBlend
- Sufix Ice Magic Fishing Line (Best Ice Fishing Line For Walleye)
Walleye is widely regarded as the best-tasting freshwater fish. It is the largest member of the perch family. However, Canada is the only commercial source of walleye. Commercial fishing of walleye was banned in the US to protect recreational fisheries.
Regardless of whether an angler is fishing walleye for the thrill and fun of it, or for commercial reasons, they will still need the best walleye fishing line to successfully land a catch.
We will discuss whether braid, fluoro, or mono is the best line for walleye in our buyers’ guide. We will also give our top picks for each, as well as the best ice fishing line for walleye below.
Best Walleye Fishing Line Reviews
Berkley X9 Crystal Fishing Line
Berkley has long been a manufacturer that has produced some of the best fishing products in the market. And the X9 Braid is no exception.
It has been designed with casting ability and strength in mind, which is perfect if you are needing to cast into the deeper water to seek out walleye.
The braid itself is constructed with 9 strands and a PE core. This helps to form a line that is smooth, round, and very strong.
Whilst fishing for walleye, you're likely to come up against some cover, like trees, rocks, and other structures, the X9 has the strength and abrasion resistance to prevent any breaks from these rough structures.
The X9 also boasts high knot strength, due to the small diameter which is perfect if you plan to tie a fluoro leader on the end.
There are 3 colors and many strengths to choose from. The X9 comes in low-vis green, crystal, and multi-colored. We like to use the crystal in clear water, and low-vis green in dark/murky water.
Options range from 165yds/8lbs to 2188yds/100lbs.
KastKing Superpower Braid
KastKing is a fairly new brand in the world of fishing lines, and all of their products have been well received by anglers all over the world - we have featured their lines many times on this site.
The SuperPower braided line for walleye is a great choice for any budget-conscious angler, you essentially get the performance of a top-tier line, without the large price tag.
This line has high knot strength, low memory, and good casting performance. It's important to get your hook setting right when fishing walleye, and that's exactly what the zero-stretch of this line can help you with.
As with other braids, the line diameter is kept to a minimum, allowing you to spool more line onto your reel and tie stronger knots.
You have 5 different colors to choose from depending on the water you are most likely to be fishing in (less important if you are using a fluorocarbon leader).
The strength/yardages range from 6lb/327yds to 150lb/1097yds; so there is definitely more than enough choice for any fish you are targeting.
Piscifun Onyx Advanced Superline Braid Fishing Line
Another great fishing line for walleye is the Onyx Advanced Superline. Again, this is not an overly expensive line - which we like. In any circumstance, if a cheaper line performs better than other more expensive lines we will always choose it.
The Onyx Superline has exceptional abrasion resistance, this is due to the epoxy coating technology that has been used to coat the entire braid. This helps when casting around rough/sharp structures, as well as preventing any line snaps from the walleye's teeth.
As you would expect from a high-quality braid, this line has practically zero-stretch and low memory which help you with the early detection of bites and hook setting.
You have a wide array of options to choose from, with 7 different colors and strengths ranging from 6lb-50lb (4 strands) and 50lb-150lb (8 strands).
Berkley Trilene Professional Grade Fluoro Line
The best fluorocarbon line for walleye is the Berkley Trilene. It has been the best option for most anglers when it comes to fishing fluoro.
The line has high strength, shock, and abrasion-resistance making it perfect for anyone fishing around sharp structures and for going after predatory fish such as pike, walleye, trout, and bass.
Being 100% Fluoro this line is practically invisible in the water, which is great for walleye, who have strong eyesight and can be easily 'put off' by brightly colored lines.
The line has been formulated for optimal impact strength, which is important when fishing for predatory fish with strong strikes. The line also has a high density which allows it to sink much faster than monofilament alternatives.
Whether you plan on using this line as a mainline or as a leader it is a great choice and deserves to be regarded as one of the best fishing lines for walleye.
The selection options range from 4lb/25yds to 20lb/2000yds.
RUNCL PowerFluoro Hybrid Fishing Line
Unlike 100% fluoro lines, this RUNCL line is actually a copolymer. It has a 100% fluoro coating, but a co-polymer core.
The coating provides all of the benefits of traditional fluorocarbon lines, such as low visibility, high shock strength, and impact resistance. Whilst the core adds extra flexibility, knot strength, and low memory.
The diameter of this line is completely uniform, which makes it easier to tie strong knots, it also has very low stretch, which makes the line more sensitive and you'll know when you have the slightest of bites.
The yardages and strengths range from 5lb/300yds to 32lb/1000yds.
Seaguar Invizx
It's widely accepted that most high-quality fluoro lines are invisible in the water, but this particular line has more reviews claiming that it is superior in low-visibility than any other line we have seen.
This is because Seaguar use 100% of their own resins, coupled with their own extrusion process. The result? A highly invisible line. This is great when you are fishing for predatory fish such as walleye which have better eyesight than most other fish.
The invizx feels soft and supple in your hands, it is super-easy to tie strong knots with, in fact, Seaguar claims that the Invizx has 42% higher knot strength than other fluoro brands.
Overall, this is a great all-around choice for the best fishing line for walleye. At higher yardages, the price will increase, so our recommendation is to couple this line as a leader with a braided mainline.
The break strength range from 4 to 25lbs with yardage options of 200, 600, and 1000 yards.
Stren High Impact Mono
This Stren mono line is a great choice for anyone who prefers using mono over braid or fluoro lines.
It has been designed with high impact and shock resistance in mind, which is beneficial when fishing for walleye which can produce an aggressive strike.
This mono line is suitable for use in both fresh and saltwater.
Whilst not as low-vis as any fluoro line on our list, the Stren High Impact Mono does have a very transparent construction and will be almost non-visible in murky water - perfect for walleye who have good eyesight.
Ranging from 10lb strength to 30lb, and available in clear, smoke blue, and both low-vis and high-vis green.
KastKing DuraBlend Monofilament Leader Line
This particular line is a mono leader line. Most anglers opt to use fluorocarbon lines as their leader, however, if you are someone who prefers mono, then this could be great when added to the end of your favorite braid.
It's important that leader lines have high impact resistance, knot strength, and sensitivity - which this mono line has.
The KastKing DuraBlend Mono features high abrasion resistance, good shock strength, and high knot strength.
Overall, this is a great leader line. Sometimes Fluoro can be notoriously hard to deal with when it comes to tying knots and rigging intricate set-ups. If you want the low-visibility and easy handling, then a mono leader might be a good choice for you.
Strength options range from 20lbs to 200lbs with the standard yardage being 120 yards.
Sufix Ice Magic Fishing Line For walleye
The Suffix Ice Magic is our top pick for the best ice fishing line for walleye.
Whilst ice fishing, one of the biggest problems that can occur is that your line absorbs water, then freezes which causes your fishing lines to become stiff, brittle, and unusable.
With the suffix ice magic line, this isn't an issue. It is a monofilament line and therefore won't absorb water as traditional braided lines would.
It has been created to remain supple and manageable even in sub-zero temps which is crucial for tying knots and line management.
The line strength ranges from 1-6lb and has clear or neon orange color options.
How To Choose Walleye Fishing Line
Now that we have looked at a few line choices, we will take a look at whether you should be using mono, fluoro or braid for walleye and some of the key features of each line type.
Braid
One of the earliest forms of a fishing line used was essentially braid – before any polymer extrusion processes were invented.
It’s an extremely choice amongst anglers and especially those going after walleye due to its high knot strength, high tensile strength to diameter ratio, and low memory/high sensitivity.
The higher sensitivity of braid lets you know when you have gotten a bite, much faster than a mono or fluoro line. This is particularly useful if you are trolling.
The main downside to braid is that it isn’t ‘clear’ or transparent, and can be bought in bright colors, this does make it more visible in the water.
Walleye have good eyesight, therefore if you want to have all of the benefits of a braided line, but low-visibility in the water, then it’s best to use it in conjunction with a mono or fluoro leader line.
We have also reviewed our favourite list of braided fishing lines.
Fluoro
Fluorocarbon lines do have good sensitivity (more than mono, but less than braid), and depending on the brand bought, they are usually abrasion resistant, have high impact strength, and can be used force fishing.
But, the real advantage of using fluoro is ultra-low visibility in the water. Fluorocarbon line refracts light very similar to water, which makes it almost invisbile.
This is great when targeting predatory fish with good eyesight.
Fluorocarbon also has a high density which helps it sink faster, this can be useful if you want your set-up to target fish that lurk deeper in the water.
The main downsides to fluoro is that it’s slightly more expensive than mono line, and is often regarded as more difficult to ‘handle’ and tie knots with.
We have also reviewed our favourite list of fluorocarbon fishing lines.
Mono
Monofilament is the most common form of fishing line used by recreational anglers, and it’s probably what most beginners start off with. Mono is generally weaker than fluoro or braid for the same lb strength, but there are a few reasons why you might opt for mono whilst targeting walleye.
Mono lines have lower visibility in the water than most braids, you can purchase mono in a wide range of colors. If you are fishing dark murky waters, you could pick a dark green or blue line, if you are fishing clear water, then a transparent line will do.
Another reason mono is a good choice is that it can tie strong knots, the small diameter can easily compress against itself to form a strong bond. This is also true for braided lines, however.
Some anglers like using a zero-stretch line for early bite detection. Mono does stretch, but this can be beneficial in certain situations.
If you are spinning, or trolling with a lure/bait and expect a fast strike from a predatory fish, then a little stretch will prevent the line from reaching its maximum tensile strength rapidly and breaking.
We have also reviewed our favourite list of monofilament fishing lines.
So, what is the best walleye fishing line setup?
We believe that the best walleye fishing line setup is a braided mainline coupled with a fluorocarbon leader line of 4-8ft. If you use an 8ft leader, you can trim and re-tie new hooks on the line without swapping out the whole leader.
With this set-up, you have a sensitive line that can detect light bights, and the low-visibility in the water which is beneficial whilst fishing walleye.
What pound test line for walleye?
In our opinion, the best pound test line for walleye is 8 to 10lbs for braided line, 6 to 8lbs for monofilament and 10 to 12 lbs for a fluorocarbon leader line.
This numbers can change depending on your situation, if you fish a lot around rough cover, then you might need a stronger line. Or if you have the chance of catching bigger fish by mistake, then a stronger line will be needed to prevent loss of tackle.
Final Words
Walleye are an incredibly fun fish to target. They don’t require the heaviest of setups, but they are a predatory fish which have good eyesight, and some sharp teeth.
Choosing the best fishing line for walleye shouldn’t be a tough decision, braid, fluoro and mono all can work great if you select a reputable brand and one which has the right line qualities.
We truly hope that this post has helped you choose the best walleye fishing line, any of the lines on our list are a great choice. We particularly like setting up for walleye with a braided mainline followed by a 4-8ft fluorocarbon leader line.
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