Spawn
Guest
Posted 5/7/2013 2:03 PM (#639754)
Subject: Spawn


Generally speaking, at what water temp. does the muskie spawn occur? And at what water temp. is it safe to say the spawn is over?
musky-skunk
Posted 5/7/2013 2:19 PM (#639760 - in reply to #639754)
Subject: RE: Spawn





Posts: 785


A study done on Leech Lake I read about stated the fish out there spawned in water from 53-57 degrees. An old musky fishing book I own said 49-59 degrees. Most all the fish I've witnessed spawning were in 55-56 degree water but one year the temps shot up fast and I seen some doing there thing in 60-61 degree water.
IAJustin
Posted 5/7/2013 2:35 PM (#639767 - in reply to #639754)
Subject: Re: Spawn




Posts: 2064


yep in a normal spring 52-55 they are doing their thing...as far as if it over? depends where you are. Not all fish in a given lake, spawn at the exact same time as well... in Iowa we have pre-spawn, spawning and post spawn fish right now.

Edited by IAJustin 5/7/2013 2:36 PM
ToddM
Posted 5/7/2013 4:41 PM (#639798 - in reply to #639754)
Subject: Re: Spawn





Posts: 20248


Location: oswego, il
as far as the spawn being over it depends in what area you are talking about,or as they say in canada, aboot.;-)
muskydope
Posted 5/8/2013 6:36 PM (#640120 - in reply to #639754)
Subject: RE: Spawn


Spawning of all species of fish depends on the angle of the sun, the lenth of the day and water temps. Under normal conditions this occurs in a relatively similar window year to year. When years are not normal, like last year, it screws things up and usually there is a poor spawn. The fish are not sure exactly what they should be doing, so they will move in fast, dump their eggs and move back out. On good years, where conditions are consistant they may even spawn sucessfully more than once
tcbetka
Posted 5/8/2013 6:52 PM (#640121 - in reply to #640120)
Subject: Re: Spawn




Location: Green Bay, WI
Exactly--it's not *just* a water temperature thing. Photo period factors in as well. Also, there is literature out there that describes the fractional spawning habits of muskellunge. In other words they can spawn more than once under some conditions, the second time being 1-2 weeks after the first according to the literature I've read. So there seem to be multiple factors that influence spawning behaviour in these fish.

TB
zombietrolling
Posted 5/8/2013 8:12 PM (#640134 - in reply to #639754)
Subject: Re: Spawn




Posts: 246


I got to see a spawning run of walleyes with some muskies chasing them this year. A lake I fish has a smaller river(stream) as it's headwaters. I was looking for the warmest waters so I kept going going north towards the river and I first saw a couple smallish muskies ~30"ers hanging out up there and then I saw what was underneath them. It was dozens upon dozens of walleyes filling the mouth of the river. Every so often a muskie or group of walleyes would head up the river. Stayed there for a while trying to coerce a muskie to eat but they were concentrating on the walleyes. The water temp was low 50's in the lake and 55degs in the shallow river and sunny. Was really cool to see.