Muskellunge

Species image (Illustration Credit: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)

What it looks like

• very large, elongated fish (second-largest in Ontario)
• dark vertical bands on light background, at times spotted or clear
• green-gold, brown, grey or silver back
• lighter sides
• beige to white belly
• partially scaled cheek and gill cover
• 12-18 pores on underside of lower jaw
• tips of tail fin more pointed than northern pike

Size

• length: 71-137 centimetres (28-40 inches)
• weight: 4-11 kilograms (8-23 pounds)
• Ontario record: 29.5 kilograms (65.0 pounds)

Similar fish

• Northern Pike

How to tell the difference between Northern Pike and Muskellunge

Where it is found

Species distribution map (modified from Mandrak and Crossman, 1992)

Range

• from the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes basin, north to Lake Nipissing and west to Lake of the Woods
• use Fish ON-Line, an interactive mapping tool, to find specific lakes and rivers

Habitat

• concealed among aquatic plants at the sides of channels
• rocks and offshore shoals in lakes and rivers in summer

Angling tips

• peak fishing periods are in June and in the fall when water temperatures begin to cool
• medium-sized fish are plentiful in the summer months
• bite all day, but morning and evening, when baitfish activity peaks, are best fishing times
• province-wide size limits
• use heavy casting tackle with long rods and strong line to catch this large, strong fighter
• handle carefully, using a large net or cradle, pliers and gloves, to avoid injuring the fish or yourself

Common baits

• large plugs, including large bass plugs
• in-line spinners
• spinnerbaits
• surface lures