Tournament News Powered By Lake Drive Marine
- Details
A 12-inch muskie captured last month by DNR biologists in Steuben County marks the first indication of natural reproduction of the popular sport fish in any Indiana lake.
While electrofishing for largemouth bass, biologist Neil Ledet and his survey crew netted the one-year-old muskie in shallow water on the north side of Ball Lake, an 87-acre natural lake.
Ledet thinks the fish came from natural reproduction because the DNR quit stocking Ball Lake five years ago. From 1997 through 2008 the DNR released 6,700 muskie fingerlings in the lake.
Stockings were discontinued when a survey revealed few Ball Lake anglers fished for muskies and few were caught, despite the fact that adult muskies were present.
- Details
(Provided by Indiana DNR)
DNR officials are getting reports from anglers that muskies are occasionally being caught in the Maumee River below the Hosey Dam in Fort Wayne.
The largest to date was caught in early April, measured 42.5 inches long and weighed 28 pounds.
Biologists are unsure where the muskies are coming fromnone are stocked directly into the river.
Muskies have been stocked in Allen Countys Lake Everett each year since 2010, but its outlet drains to the Eel River, not the Maumee. Likewise, a check with Ohio DNR biologists confirmed that no muskies are stocked in the Maumee watershed within the Buckeye state.
Right now, the best guess is they came downstream via the St. Joe River from Ball Lake in Steuben County. Muskies were stocked there annually until 2009.
- Details
(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.
- Details
In conjunction with Indianas upcoming Free Fishing Day, a special youth trout fishing event will be offered April 20, at Wyland Lake near North Webster in Kosciusko County.
About 400 rainbow trout will be stocked by DNR officials on Friday in the 6-acre lake in Tri-County Fish & Wildlife Area. Fishing will not be allowed until Saturday.
To encourage family fishing, only anglers under 18 and any adults who accompany them will be allowed to fish on Saturday. The starting time will be 6 a.m. Trout fishing will then be open to the general public on Sunday.
- Details
(Provided by Indiana DNR)
Now that Michigan has restricted anglers to keeping one muskie per year and has implemented a harvest tag system, will Indiana muskie anglers face a similar change?
Not likelyat least for now.
Current rules allow Indiana-licensed anglers to take one muskie per day in Indiana. There are no limits in Indiana on the number of muskies an Indiana-licensed angler can take per year.
The only tags required in Indiana for harvest pertain to deer and turkey huntingnot fishing.