The muskellunge

A huge predator of northern lakes

The Muskellunge is a huge predator of northern lakes. It is 1 of the largest freshwater fish of North America. It lies in wait among green weed.

Then it shoots forward and takes its prey. It eats other fish and even small birds. It grows slowly and it lives long.

Anglers call it the fish of 10,000 casts. It is a prized catch.

Family tree

Actinopterygii, Esocidae

The Muskellunge sits in the phylum Chordata. Its class is the Actinopterygii. Its order is the Esociformes. Its family is the Esocidae, the pikes.

Our fish shares the family with the Northern Pike. That fish grows smaller and more slender. It has pale spots on a dark green body. Our fish grows much larger.

It carries dark bars on a pale flank. The 2 species may breed together. Their young is called a tiger musky. The family is a small one.

150 cm and a duck bill snout

How to tell one

The fish may reach 150 cm in length. A large female may weigh 30 kg. The body is long and shaped like a torpedo. The snout is broad and flat like a duck bill.

The jaws hold many sharp teeth. Those teeth point backward into the mouth. The dorsal fin sits far back near the tail. The anal fin sits opposite it.

The tail fin is large and forked. The colour varies with the water. Some fish carry clear dark bars. Others carry dark spots on a green gold flank.

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Large lakes and slow rivers

Where it lives

The species lives in large lakes and slow rivers. It favours water with thick beds of weed. It also lives near fallen trees and rocks. It needs cool water with plenty of oxygen.

It holds still beside a weed bed. The fish waits for prey to pass. It dislikes warm shallow bays in summer. It then moves to deeper and cooler water.

The young need shallow weed for cover. A clean lake with clear water suits it best. A muddy lake holds fewer of them.

Other fish taken by ambush

What it eats

The Muskellunge is a fish eater. It takes perch, suckers and small carp. It also takes young ducks and frogs. The fish hunts by ambush.

It strikes with a fast burst of speed. The jaws then close on the prey. Sharp teeth hold the catch in place. The fish turns the prey and swallows it whole.

It feeds most in cool water. It may eat only a few large meals each week. It rarely takes very small food.

200,000 eggs scattered in spring

The breeding cycle

The fish spawns in spring. It moves into shallow water with plants. The female lies among the stems. She releases a great cloud of eggs.

A large female may lay 200,000 eggs. The male then releases his cells over them. The eggs stick to plants and to the bottom. They hatch in about 14 days.

The young feed on tiny water animals. The female matures after about 4 years. The male matures a little sooner.

Fishing pressure and dams

Conservation

The Muskellunge is not listed as endangered. It is still common in many lakes. It has no legal protection in most places. Fishing pressure has reduced it in some waters.

Anglers now release most fish they catch. Dirty water and a dam also harm it. A dam blocks the river where it spawns. The fish grows slowly and it breeds late.

Those habits make it easy to harm. Careful rules give it the best chance. Some fish live for 30 years.

Quick hits

Five things to remember

• Its name comes from a native word for ugly pike.
• It can grow longer than a man is tall.
• Its teeth point backward to hold a slippery fish.
• Anglers say it takes 10,000 casts to catch one.
• It may live for 30 years in the wild.