Muskellunge are native only to North America. Muskellunge are abundant in many lakes and rivers over much of North America, however, their greatest concentrations are present in the waters of the Midwestern states. Their native range extends from 36 to 51N, barely reaching into Canada. (Sternberg, 1992)

Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Native )

occurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations

Canada

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

Global Range: Originally St. Lawrence-Great Lakes, Hudson Bay (Red River), and Mississippi River basins from Quebec to southeastern Manitoba and south to Georgia and Iowa (Page and Burr 1991). Introduced in numerous localities, including Atlantic Slope drainages south to southern Virginia, and southern and western U.S. (where introductions usually have not been successful) (Page and Burr 1991).

"Muskellunge are the largest member of the pike family " Esocidae (Waszcuk, 1996), they resemble the northern pike in most respects, but are distinct in the following respects. The sides vary from greenish to brownish to silverish, usually with dark markings, but the marks may be absent. The white or cream-colored belly often has brownish or grayish spots. The dorsal and anal fins, which are set far back on the body, vary from greenish to brownish to blood red and usually have dark markings. The duckbill-shaped jaws have long, sharp teeth: the roof of the mouth has pads of shorter, recurved teeth. The cheek and gill cover have scales on the top half only. The underside of the jaw has sensory pores, numbers varying from 12 to 20, but the count is usually 15-18. (Sternberg, 1992)

Range mass: 1 to 29.48 kg.

Length: 164 cm

Muskellunge inhabit freshwater rivers and lakes and can survive in a wide range of water temperatures. Muskellunge prefer water in the 67-to 72-degree range and are hardly ever found in waters with a maximun temperature below 68 F. Muskellunge favor clear water and cannot adapt to water that stays turbid most of the time. They also have a well-defined home range. Several studies have shown that muskellunge seldom leave their home range, except to spawn, although they roam about within it. The larger the body of water the larger the home range. Although they prefer shallow, weedy water (less than 20 feet deep) during their early years of life, as they grow larger, they spend more time in deep water.

Muskellunge cannot endure fast current, so they are seldom found in rivers with high gradient (drop), of more than 10 feet per mile. If there are backwater areas where they can get out of the moving water then they will live in rivers with higher gradients and faster currents. (Sternberg, 1992)

Aquatic Biomes: lakes and ponds; rivers and streams

Habitat Type: Freshwater

Comments: Warm heavily vegetated lakes, stumpy weedy bays, pools and backwaters of creeks and small to large rivers with abundant vegetation; often in large lakes with both extensive deep and shallow basins and tributary streams. Spawns in water less than 1 m deep in heavily vegetated flooded areas. Eggs sink and stick to bottom or vegetation.

Non-Migrant: No. All populations of this species make significant seasonal migrations.

Locally Migrant: Yes. At least some populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.

May migrate up to at least 40 km between spawning areas and nonspawning areas (Becker 1983).

Muskellunge are the top predator in any body of water where they occur, and they will eat larger prey than most other freshwater fish. Adult muskellunge will eat fish from one-fourth to one-half of their own length and up to 20% of their own weight. Young muskellunge do not hesitate to attack other fish of nearly their own size, grabbing the prey by the head and swimming around with the tail sticking out of their mouth until they digest enough to swallow the rest of the unfortunate victim. Muskellunge fry (the young) start to feed on plankton shortly after hatching. As the fry reach about one inch in length, they begin to feed on tiny insects and at about 2 inches their diet consists mainly of small fish, even including their own kind. Muskellunge feed primarily on fish, insects, ducklings, frogs, muskrats, and mice. There have even been reports of large muskellunge attacking small dogs and even humans, although most of these reports are greatly exaggerated.

Muskellunge feed very little until the spring when the water warms to 50 F. Feeding peaks when the water reaches temperatures of about 70 F, and some feeding continues until the water reaches 80 F. Muskellunge consume more food as the water cools in the fall, but they seldom feed once the water temperature drops below 40 F. (Sternberg, 1992)

Comments: Food changes with size; initially zooplankton, later fishes and other available vertebrates.

Large adults normally sedentary and solitary.

Average lifespan

Status: wild: 19.0 years.

Average lifespan

Status: captivity: 10.0 years.

Muskellunge are random spawners, not nest builders. They scatter their eggs in shallow water, most often over live or decaying aquatic plants or their roots. They spawn in the early spring, normally in water temperatures from 49 to 59 f. They often spawn in the same weedy bays of the main lake or on shallow flats in large bays, far from the shoreline, as in the Great Lakes and some other large lakes. Muskellunge have been known to drop their eggs in water as deep as 6 feet. Males move onto the spawning grounds a few days before the females. The spawning period lasts for 5 to 10 days. As the eggs and milt (sperm) are released, males thrash their tails wildly, apparently to help scatter the eggs. The violent activity commonly results in deep gashes and split fins, and the damage may kill the fish.

Females leave the spawning area a few days after depositing their eggs. Males normally stay around for several weeks, but do not protect the eggs. With no parental care the eggs are vulnerable to predators such as cray fish, predacious insects and small fish. In about two weeks, the eggs that survive will hatch. The fry are precocial and begin to feed on plankton after their mouths develop.(Sternberg, 1992)

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male)

Sex: male: 1460 days.

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female)

Sex: female: 1825 days.

Spawns in spring. Two clutches of eggs per year (Lebeau 1991). Eggs hatch in 1-2 weeks. Sexually mature in 3-5 years.

Muskellunge are a vary frail sport fish. Overfishing causes the population to dwindle rapidly, so most fisherman practice catch and release. There have been many regulations administered to decrease the number of muskellunge killed by enforcing minimum size and length restrictions. These regulations were first established in 1891 but then eliminated in 1930. They were eventually reestablished in 1960. The minimum length is set at 30 inches and the daily limit is 6. There have also been open season dates established in 1930 for anglers (fisherman) which are May 15 - February 1 but later extended to February 15. The most serious and difficult to solve problem facing muskellunge is the destruction of spawning habitat. Spawning habitats suffer when lake shore property owners remove unwanted weeds for easier boat access or add sand to their beaches to improve swimming conditions.

To increase muskellunge populations efforts have been made at muskellunge management consisting of stocking fry in natural populations. (Nechvatal, pers. comm., Olson, 1989, Sternberg, 1992)

US Federal List: no special status

CITES: no special status

State of Michigan List: no special status

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure

Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure

Management Requirements: See Hall (1986) for information on management and propagation.

Muskellunge bring in millions of dollars a year from sport fishing. The modern perspective on muskellunge is to regard them as a very desirable sport fish managed for their trophy value. Muskellunge are considered something special and are held in high esteem by both anglers and fishery managers. (Nechvatal, pers. comm., Graff, 1986)

Comments: Formerly not recognized as distinct from E. LUCIUS. Also formerly regarded as comprising three distinct species (E. MASQUINONGY, E. OHIOENSIS, and E. IMMACULATUS); later these were regarded as subspecies, which now are not considered nameworthy (Lee et al. 1980).