|
General Information: Muskellunge, typically referred to as “muskie”, are stocked in 10 reservoirs in Ohio, nine of these are stocked by the Ohio Division of Wildlife and one (Pymatuning Lake) is stocked by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. Ohio stocks 19,600 8-12 inch muskie each September in our nine program reservoirs to maintain these fisheries. Muskie are native to Ohio and naturally reproduce in a limited number of streams along Lake Erie and the Ohio River.
State Record: 55.13 pounds, 50 1/4 inches, Piedmont Lake
Joe D. Lykins
April 12, 1972
Fish Ohio Length: 36 inches
Tips:
-
Number one tip: have an experienced muskie fisherman take you fishing, or attend a local muskie club meeting and shorten your learning curve.
-
Visit the muskie information section of this website for detailed information on Ohio’s muskie program and 9 program lakes.
-
Mid-May until mid-July are the best periods to be on any of Ohio’s muskie lakes.
-
Be sure and try casting bucktails and jerkbaits around any available weed-beds the last two weeks of May before the gizzard shad finish spawning and move out into the open lake.
-
Quality needlenose pliers and mini-boltcutters are a must-have in a muskie boat. Big hooks and muskie teeth can both cause an angler nasty injuries. The bolt cutters can be used to free a muskie from a landing net when hooks tangle.
Tackle: 6.6 to 8-foot medium to heavy casting rods matched with wide-spool casting reels with line-out alarms. A separate rod for trolling purposes is a plus and should have slightly more flex than the casting rod and be equipped with a line counter reel for determining accurate trolling depths. New “super-lines” in 60 to 90-pound test make great multi-purpose lines for casting and trolling but require modern muskie rods with more length and flex since these lines have low stretch characteristics. A short ten-inch wire leader is recommended for casting and longer 12 to 24-inch leader for trolling to protect your line from zebra mussels and muskie teeth.
Regulations: 1 fish daily limit
Muskie Angler Log: Learn more about Ohio muskie fishing, report your muskie catches, keep a log (diary) of your fishing success, and review current and historical catch records on the Ohio Muskie Angler Log.
Where to go:
Seasonal Fishing Approaches:
|
|
|
|
Summer
(June - mid-September)
|
Fall
(mid-September - November)
|
Winter
(December - February)
|
|
Peak Activity
|
Variable |
Excellent |
Good - Fair |
Good |
Poor |
|
Presentation
|
March, cast & troll suspending minnow crankbaits on dams, causeways and rock covered bars close to spawning areas. Late March is a good time to try finesse glide baits (jerkbaits) for big pre-spawn females. April, troll and cast spawning areas in 3 to 7-feet of water with small crankbaits especially over areas with emerging weedbeds.
|
Casting jerkbaits, bucktails and plastics around weedbeds and submerged timber. Trolling shallow coves and flats out in front of known spawning areas with smaller muskie crankbaits from 3 to 6-inches. |
Spend more time trolling open water with crankbaits just above the thermocline level. Be sure to use line counter reels for accurate trolling depths and talk to local muskie fishermen and fish biologist for information on how deep to fish. Muskies can still be caught casting off the ends of deep bars, humps and standing timber with lures that will retrieve in the 6 to 10-feet deep range. |
Presentation patterns mimic the pre-summer patterns however, many muskie fishermen begin to use larger lures. Casting any available green weeds can be very exciting this time of year. When water levels are dropping fast, concentrate off the ends of main lake points instead of in coves. |
Muskies can be caught all winter long if open water is available. Be sure to have all your safety gear on board and don’t fish alone. Many muskies can be caught incidentally while fish for saugeye, meaning they also prefer a very slow presentation at this time of year. |
|
Location
|
Feeder streams if the water is low and clear, South facing bays protected from the wind especially ones that had aquatic vegetation the year before, rip-rap (rock) covered banks on causeways and dams, especially at night. |
The larger shallow spawning coves and weed or wood covered flats adjacent to these areas can all be good but the best have new green weeds on the bottom. Be sure to run some very shallow crankbaits across the middle of these coves when the fish are done spawning also. Big females like to “sun” just under the surface for about a week. |
By now a muskies main food source, gizzard shad, have moved out into the open lake. Muskies will still use the ends of main lake bars if they are above the thermocline but many will suspend off the ends of these bars or out over the open water. If standing timber is available in deep water, muskies will suspend in it also Concentrate on the lower 1/3 of the lake near the dam in most cases but cold water from summer storms can sometimes move fish into the backs of coves and into flooded feeder stream areas. |
When water finally begins to cool below the 70-degree range, look for muskies in many of the same places as pre-summer. Casting any available green weeds or submerged wood located on good structure can be very exciting. Trolling back up on top of structure in 4 to 10-feet of water can also produce fish. |
During open water periods the area near the dam is best. Fish hold in the deeper water during the day, depth depends on water color and stable weather patterns. When active, the fish can move surprisingly shallow at sunset, especially on rip-rap areas.
|
Return to Go Fish! |