Okay, so, I’ve been wanting to up my fish game lately, and walleye seemed like a good place to start. I’m not a pro chef or anything, just a dude who likes to eat well. So I thought, “Grilling, that sounds fun and tasty.”
I went out and bought a couple of nice walleye fillets. They had the skin on, which I heard is better for grilling. Something about keeping the fish together and looking pretty.

First, I prepped the fillets. I patted them dry with a paper towel. I mean, who wants a soggy fish, right? Then, I brushed both sides with a little olive oil. Just enough to give it a nice sheen.
For seasoning, I kept it pretty basic. I sprinkled on some salt, pepper, and a bit of garlic powder. I didn’t want to go crazy and overpower the natural flavor of the fish. I like to keep it simple.
While I was doing that, I got the grill going. I aimed for medium-high heat. I wanted those nice grill marks, but I didn’t want to burn the poor fish to a crisp. You know, that balance.
- Place the fillets on the grill, skin-side down first. I heard that’s the way to do it.
- Cooked them for about 4-5 minutes on that side. I was looking for the skin to get crispy and those beautiful grill marks to appear.
- Flipped them over carefully. I used a big spatula so I wouldn’t break the fillets.
- Cooked for another 3-4 minutes on the other side. I knew they were done when they were opaque and flaked easily with a fork.
While the fish was grilling, I whipped up a quick side. I just roasted some potatoes with some rosemary and garlic. Nothing fancy, but it hits the spot.
Serving
I took the fillets off the grill and let them rest for a minute or two. Then, I plated them up with the roasted potatoes. And because I like a little freshness, I squeezed some lemon juice over the fish.
Man, it turned out pretty good! The fish was moist and flaky, and the skin was nice and crispy. I even ate the skin, it was delicious! The potatoes were a great side. It was a simple meal, but it felt kind of fancy. Definitely doing this again, maybe I’ll try some different seasonings next time.
Grilling walleye is easy. Everyone can try it. Don’t be afraid! Just try!
