Muskellunge Long Range Plan through 2040

Please take this opportunity to review and provide input on the Muskellunge long range management plan. You can find the draft of this plan posted on the DNR's webpage. Following this public review period, the DNR will revise the plan to address input received and will release a final version of the plan.

The purpose of this plan is to guide muskellunge management in Minnesota through 2040. The plan revises and adds new objectives and strategies based on the latest research, management experience, and input from angling interests gained since the last Long Range Plan in 2008. In short, future management will focus on improving existing waters for quality angling opportunities (reasonable encounter rates of “trophy” specimens), evaluation and research, habitat protection, and increasing the opportunities for muskellunge angling when possible.

Muskie management

Muskies are managed in 101 waters, comprising 2% of Minnesota’s fishable lakes and rivers and 22% of the total surface area that is fishable.

Muskie management may include: stocking muskies, setting harvest and season regulations, population monitoring and research, and outreach and education.
Muskies have been introduced in 48 lakes and are maintained through stocking.
Ten lakes, all located in the Twin Cities, are managed for hybrid muskies, also known as tiger muskies (cross between a female muskie and male northern pike).

Muskie research

Since the last plan in 2008, the DNR has conducted additional Minnesota-focused research on the ecological role of muskies in lakes. Research topics and key findings include the following table:

Research topic	Key finding
The effect of introducing muskies on the remainder of the fish community in a lake	Extensive research and long-term monitoring of Minnesota's stocked muskie lakes has shown that the introduction and ongoing management of muskies has not adversely impacted other gamefish populations.
The diet and food consumption patterns of muskies relative to other predators (e.g., walleye, northern pike, largemouth bass)	Muskies share some key prey, such as yellow perch, with other predators like walleye, northern pike, and largemouth bass. However, the varied diet of muskies includes cisco, white sucker, northern pike, and bullheads, resulting in low overlap of diets with other predators. Muskie predation on Walleye was exceptionally low. Of the 631 muskies examined for diets, only 4 walleye were found in the 350 muskies that contained prey.
The success of different sizes of muskies when stocked	From 2008 through 2012, stocked yearlings (15-20 inches) had higher survival rates than stocked fingerlings (10-12 inches).

Muskie angling

Interest in muskie fishing grew rapidly throughout the 1990s and 2000s, thanks to the high-quality angling opportunities in many stocked lakes. Although a 2007 survey found that 80% of muskie anglers were satisfied or very satisfied with their overall fishing experience, they were less satisfied with the number of lakes managed for muskies. A 2018 statewide angler survey reported 11% of Minnesota anglers spent at least one day targeting muskie in 2017 and 29% of respondents said they were interested in fishing for muskies in the future.

Written comments can also be submitted via email to mnmuskieplan2025@state.mn.us, or in writing to:

Kelly Wilder
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources - FAW
500 Lafayette Road
Saint Paul, MN 55155

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