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Muskie
Species Information
| Scientific Name: | Esox masquinongy |
| Common Names: | muskie, musky, muskellunge, lunge,, maskinonge, great pike |
| Environment: | Lake, River |
| Ideal Temp: | 60-70°F (15-21°C) |
About Muskie
Identifying characteristics: Single dorsal fin, upper half of cheek and gill cover has scales, body and dorsal fin have dark spots on lighter backgrounds.
The Muskellunge and northern pike family, These fish are characterized by a long cylindrical body with a soft dorsal fin, and each has large powerful jaws shaped like a duck's bill and armed with numerous fang-like teeth.
The muskellunge, or muskie, as it is often called, is an extremely efficient "predator machine." It lurks near shore in the shadows of plants or submerged logs, and ventures forth only to strike swiftly at a prey fish (which it often takes back to a concealed area before eating). During summer's peak heat a muskie may move into slightly deeper, cooler waters but will still choose the protection of a drop-off or some underwater obstruction. If necessary, the muskie can withstand water temperatures up to 90 degrees F.
The muskie spawns in early spring shortly after the ice has melted, but after the spawning of the northern pike. Eggs are laid among heaby vegetation, in water only 15-20 inches deep and with a temperature of about 55 degrees F. The young grow very rapidly for the first few years, which is no wonder since few fish can match the muskie's really voracious appetite. Predominately a fish-eating fish, the muskie eats perch, suckers, catfish, minnow, sunfishes and probably any other fish available in its habitat. Larger muskies will attack and consume nearly any living animal, including small rodents, waterfowl and muskrats. Females grow faster and live longer than males, so most trophy-sized individuals are females. Indeed, muskies are second only to sturgeons as the Great Lakes'largest fish. Individuals have weighed in at more than 100 pounds and exceeded six feet in length! The average adult size is an impressive 28-48 inches long with a weight of 5-36 pounds.
These fish become sexually mature at three to five years of age some venerable old muskies have been recorded at more than 20 years old, but most seen by anglers are 3-15 years old.
Northern pike, bass, sunfish and yellow perch as well as some aquatic insects prey upon muskie young and severely reduce their numbers. Those that survive to adulthood probably need only fear bears, large birds of prey and people. People indeed, can be a serious enemy - the extreme desirability of this fish, coupled with its habit of spawning in shallows with little caution, sometimes leads to poaching.
Tips for Fishing
Bait casting and trolling large plugs, spoons, and spinner baits are the most popular ways to catch muskies.
Muskie Fishing
| World Record: | 30.61 kg (67 lb 8 oz) Lake Court Oreilles, Hayward, Wisconsin, USA |
| # Fish Caught: | 8142 documented in database. |
| Earliest Record: | 12/31/1840 12:00:00 AM and located at 43.13341, -72.44398. |
| Latest Record: | 5/14/2024 1:45:00 PM and located at 44.85162, -93.78567. |
| Common Techniques: | Casting, Fly, Jigging, Trolling |
| Popular Lure Types: | Crankbaits, Flies, Jigs, Plugs, Soft Plastics, Spinnerbaits, Spoons, Topwater, Trolling |
| Fishing Spots: | 606 Muskie fishing spots. |
Latest Muskie Fishing Reports and Spots
We hope everyone had a great Fishing Opener Mother’s Day weekend and got to enjoy the Northern Lights display! There was a lot to like about the (
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Showed some Southern Hospitality to Brad and his son Will from Woodbury Minnesota. They took a break from catching Walleye and Muskies we kept (
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Anglers that were out yesterday had mixed reports. Everyone seemed to have action with Walleye and Perch. Some over the slot C/R walleye pict (
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Some nice recent rains have rivers up a bit a pleasant change from the low water conditions. Smallmouth Bass fishing has been great both top wa (
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Around the area water is hovering around the mid to low 60's but even with the stable warm weather on the way expect the shorter nights to star (
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Hey everyone My son and I helped put some musky out today along with members of the Musky Club of Wisconsin. The club has been doing active s (
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The Greenville News Saturday May 15 2004 By Scott Keepfer In the eyes of many anglers the elusive muskie ranks as the most difficult fish to ca (
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Muskellunge - 9/16/2021 5:26:58 PM
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Muskellunge - 9/16/2021 5:26:57 PM
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