MEET THE MUSKELLUNGE ALSO KNOWN AS A "MUSKIE" - WHERE CAN YOU FIND IT?

This member of the pike family is in lakes and rivers throughout Michigan. There are two strains of muskie in Michigan: the Great Lakes muskellunge and the northern muskellunge.
The Great Lakes muskellunge is most common in Lake St. Clair and the Detroit River, which features world-class fisheries for this large, toothy predator.

WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?

If you get up close to a muskie, the first thing you might notice is its large mouth full of sharp teeth. The muskie has large powerful jaws shaped like a duck’s bill and a long, thin body with dark stripes or dark spots on a light background. The tail shape helps you tell the difference between a muskie and a northern pike – the muskie’s tail is pointed, while the tail fin of a pike is rounded. Additionally, muskies have 6 or more holes on the underside of their lower jaw, while pike have 5 or fewer.

LEARN ITS STORY

The muskie is an efficient underwater predator. It lurks near the shore in the shadows of plants or submerged logs, swimming out swiftly to strike at its prey. Usually, the prey is fish such as suckers and carp, but muskie will also eat small rodents, waterfowl and muskrats. The muskie likes to eat one big meal instead of many smaller meals. Muskie’s sharp teeth and fighting ability make them a challenge to catch. Plus, they aren’t easy to fool – they will follow a lure right up to the boat side but not take the bait. It’s not impossible to catch a muskie, but you’ll need patience, which is why they are considered the “Fish of 1,000 Casts.” Muskie anglers use a variety of fishing methods such as trolling, casting or still fishing with live bait.

FACTS

SIZE: 3-5 ft. (1-1.5 m)
WEIGHT: Up to 40 lbs (18 kg)
DIET: Piscivore, which means they mainly eat fish; prefer large fish such as suckers and carp, but will eat any fish; will also eat frogs, crayfish, ducklings and other waterfowl, small rodents and muskrats
AVERAGE LIFESPAN:
Live to be more than 20 years old, but most muskies seen by anglers are 3-15 years old