Muskie Habitat
Description and Range
Muskellunge, commonly called muskie, are members of the pike family along with pickerels and northern pike. Muskie have silvery to olive green or gold bodies, a white belly, and dark spots or bars on their sides. Muskie are easily distinguished from their cousin the northern pike by the color pattern; muskie are light-colored fish with dark markings while northern pike are dark-colored fish with light markings. Muskie are the largest member of the pike family. Although some controversy exists, the world record muskie weighed 69 pounds and 11 ounces.
In Canada, the muskie is native to parts of Quebec, Ontario, and Manitoba. In the United States, their original range included areas east and northeast of the Mississippi River but they have been successfully introduced elsewhere, including Missouri.
Life History of Missouri
Muskie probably do not reproduce naturally in Missouri. Even if habitat conditions are suitable, predators such as largemouth bass would likely consume young muskie very quickly. Nonetheless, Missouri muskie still display the same spawning behavior as their northern counterparts.
Muskie seem to spawn in the same locations year after year, preferring to spawn along shorelines with dead plant matter and firm substrates. Males arrive at the spawning sites first and females arrive just before spawning. In Missouri, muskie spawn from late March to early April when water temperatures reach the upper 40's to mid 50's F.
Because natural reproduction does not occur, stocking is necessary to maintain Missouri's muskie populations. Muskie eggs and milt are collected from muskie netted at spawning locations. Fertilized eggs are incubated and hatched in a fish hatchery and the young muskie are raised to at least 11inches or larger before stocking.
Missouri muskie often reach 12 inches by age 1, 24 inches by age 2, 30 inches by age 3, and 36 inches by age 4. Females grow faster and larger than males and live longer. As a result, the largest muskie are female. Although muskie can live over 20 years in northern waters, they rarely live longer than 12 years in Missouri. The state record muskie in Missouri measured 49.5 inches long, weighed just over 41 pounds, and was 14 years old.
Feeding Habits
The muskie's impressive mouth full of teeth and the fish's large size are testimonials to the muskie's place at the top of the lake food chain. Although muskie are efficient predators, they are also selective. In Missouri lakes, muskie seem to prefer gizzard shad, carp, and suckers and can eat prey too large for other predators such as largemouth bass, crappie, and white bass. Studies of muskie food habits show that muskie have little, if any, effect on largemouth bass, crappie, and bluegill populations because they are not preferred prey.
