The Ohio Division of Wildlife is stocking inland lakes 20,000 muskellunge.
Muskellunge are sought-after, predatory sport fish. They don’t reproduce well so the state raises them at fish hatcheries in Pike and Madison counties and then stocks the 10- to 12-inch muskies each fall at nine lakes.
The fish is the largest member of the pike family. Female muskies grow faster and live longer than males. An old fish could make it to age 12 or 15, though they’re known to live much longer.
Muskies can grow several feet long, with eight of the lakes being stocked recording muskies of longer than 50 inches.
Ohio’s native population is believed to date back as far as 1810. At one time, they thrived mostly in streams and rivers. By the 1950s, though, they were few and far between. It wasn’t until state wildlife officials got involved in hatching and stocking inland lakes that they’ve made a comeback.
Where are muskellunge stocked in Ohio?
Here are the nine lakes that will be stocked with muskellunge this season:
In addition to the reservoirs where they are stocked, muskellunge are caught in many of Ohio’s river systems.
Ohio’s muskie king: How a state fishing record still stands after 52 years
Where were the top 10 Ohio fishing spots for muskies last year?
Muskellunge 40 inches or longer are eligible for a Fish Ohio award. Here are the top fishing spots for muskies last year:
-
West Branch Reservoir (101)
-
C.J. Brown Reservoir (14)
How much are fishing licenses?
Here’s a look at the prices for Ohio fishing licenses this year:
∎ Resident one-year license: $25
∎ Resident three-year license: $72.11
∎ Resident five-year license: $120.18
∎ Resident lifetime license: $599.04
∎ Resident senior one-year license: $10
∎ Resident senior three-year license: $27.04
∎ Resident senior five-year license: $45.07
∎ Resident senior lifetime license: $84.24
For more information on licenses, go to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources website.
Includes reporting by Canton Repository staff writer Tim Botos.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Ohio stocks 20,000 muskellunge at 9 lakes. Here’s where to go fishing.
