(Provided by Indiana DNR)
Muskies stocked in northwest Allen Countys Lake Everett three years ago will soon be large enough to be kept by anglers.
During sampling in mid-April, DNR fisheries biologists captured three muskies in Lake Everett with an electrofishing boat within 15 minutes of operation.
The two largest were 33 inches long and came from a stocking of 245 fingerlings in 2010, the first time muskies were stocked in Lake Everett. They were 8 to 10 inches long at the time of stocking.
To be legally kept by anglers, muskies must be at least 36 inches long. Based on what biologists know about the species rapid growth, they expect Lake Everett muskies to reach 36 inches this summer. They could eventually exceed 48 inches.
Muskies were stocked in Lake Everett to feed on its abundant gizzard shad population and to provide an additional muskie fishing opportunity in the area.
The Webster Lake Musky Club purchased 30 muskies of the original group from a commercial hatchery. DNR hatcheries contributed the rest. Another 215 muskies from state hatcheries were stocked in Lake Everett in 2011 and 2012.
A 10-inch muskie stocked last fall by the DNR also was captured during sampling.