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| I have pondered about Muskies being in Lake Michigan's Chitown area for a bit of time. I just wondered if anyone has any information on this topic or thoughts were? I've done some investigating myself through muskies inc and the illinois dnr. I talked to a biologist that studies lake Michigan and was told that introducing a new species would be too hard upon agreement of all the states bordering lake Michigan and introducing a new species could have varied results. But they would not be a new species to the area, greenbay is just north a bit, yes a way bit but its still connected. I would love to see myself fishing for musky in my hometown. Also they could be a predator for the threatning Asian carp!! |
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| I wondered the same thing. Im sure there has been a few escaped from GB |
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Location: Oconomowoc, WI | There was a 48" Muskie caught near McKinley marina in milwaukee back in 2010. I'm going to try to attach a pic and link to the jsonline article.
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| That same year there was a 33 inch musky caught in Milwaukee as well. Speculation was that those fish came from the river system leader into the harbor. |
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Location: oswego, il | Will never happen. Green Bay is diverse habitat and can support cold and warm water fisheries. Chicago does not have as much diverse habitat. The muskies would mingle with the salmon and because of that you would need to stock 10k fish at least to establish any sort of fishable population. |
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Posts: 72
| I have fished the Chicago Lakefront all my life. Have caught Pike, Stripers ,Walleyes,Largemouth,Crappies,Catfish
and everything from Shopping Carts to Pipe Bombs. Never caught or saw a Musky but I bet people have put a few
in the lake around here. I heard stories about guys putting stripers in from the cooling lakes. |
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Posts: 209
| I thought for sure the answer would be NO WAY!!!!!
muskyfolly - 2/20/2014 12:36 PM
I have pondered about Muskies being in Lake Michigan's Chitown area for a bit of time. I just wondered if anyone has any information on this topic or thoughts were? I've done some investigating myself through muskies inc and the illinois dnr. I talked to a biologist that studies lake Michigan and was told that introducing a new species would be too hard upon agreement of all the states bordering lake Michigan and introducing a new species could have varied results. But they would not be a new species to the area, greenbay is just north a bit, yes a way bit but its still connected. I would love to see myself fishing for musky in my hometown. Also they could be a predator for the threatning Asian carp!! |
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Location: Northwest Chicago Burbs | The Michigan DNR (and I believe WI) is already cutting down on stocking salmon in Lake Michigan for this year and possibly next because of a lack of alewives. The hope is that less predators will bring back the forage base.
That being said...the chances of the introduction of an apex predator...yeah, going with no.
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| Slamr - 2/20/2014 6:58 PM
The Michigan DNR (and I believe WI) is already cutting down on stocking salmon in Lake Michigan for this year and possibly next because of a lack of alewives. The hope is that less predators will bring back the forage base.
That being said...the chances of the introduction of an apex predator...yeah, going with no.
Wait... WHAT?!
Alewives are an invasive, aren't they? This is going back a long time, but if I remember correctly the reason the Coho and Chinook salmon were introduced to Lake Michigan in the first place was to control the alewife population, and because the native lake trout were all but fished out... Now they're reducing stocking in hopes the alewives will come back?
I don't get it...
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Location: IL | I think it would be pretty awesome, and also think there are some giants out there. But well never be a fishable population. And even if there was, I feel like it would be extremely difficult to locate and catch them with the average depth of the lake being 250 feet! |
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| I was thinking of local populations being a possibilities. Plenty of weeds in the harbors with plenty of forage, bass,sucker,carp,perch,shad etc. I do believe they are catching decent pike from the ice now in the harbors. |
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| I have pondered the question and posted it here a while back. I asked an IL DNR officer at our club meeting and he couldnt really provide a straight answer other than "they dont migrate this far south." ?? |
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Location: E. Tenn | Mr Fisherman - 2/20/2014 3:51 PM
I have fished the Chicago Lakefront all my life. Have caught Pike, Stripers ,Walleyes,Largemouth,Crappies,Catfish
and everything from Shopping Carts to Pipe Bombs. Never caught or saw a Musky but I bet people have put a few
in the lake around here. I heard stories about guys putting stripers in from the cooling lakes.
What did you do with the pipe bombs??
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Posts: 72
| Ony caught one. Piece of conduit threaded and capped both sides with a half burned wick.
Threw it back. |
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Location: Syracuse, Indiana | FWIW - I am aware of a few random Muskie catches in Burn's Harbor (Indiana). The Speculation was they were Skinner Lake stocked fish that swam a LONG way. The Indiana DNR has not been terribly receptive to the concept of establishing a fishable Muskie population in Lake Michigan. Then again, they have changed their position on size limits (at least on Webster), so hope remains! |
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Posts: 371
Location: Dixon, IL | Stock Great Lakes Muskie in Illinois Lake Michigan would be great but not cheap! $12@ per fish and lot of fishermen in Chicago would keep anything! I know few pike came from Burnham, Diversity and North point harbors. Pike is natural reproduction and always low in number. Maybe 1 or 2 musky there came from Wisconsin and Michigan but not easy! 1,000,000 cast per musky! Ha! Ha!
Edited by ILmuskie 2/21/2014 8:09 AM
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| There was a musky caught in Belmont or Diversey Harbor a few years back |
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Location: Northwest Chicago Burbs | WHY should there be muskies in Lake Michigan? If you have access, but you're not fishing salmon and trout because they're not muskies...you should try catching a 20lb+ king on 20lb mono line while not stopping the boat and having 8 other lines out on a small boat...it's crazy fun! |
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Location: Des Moines IA | Okay I will ask a stupid question. Were musky ever native to Lake Michigan Chicago area or Lake Michigan in general. |
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Location: oswego, il | Tomorrow at the IMA meeting we are discussing some proposals from the DNR one of which is promoting musky harvest of fish 30-40" and concentrating musky stocking on the biggest lakes. Going to be an interesting day tomorrow. Lake Michigan is a pipe dream. |
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Location: Eastern Ontario | Why would they be PROMOTING musky harvest of fish 30-40"? |
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| esoxaddict - 2/20/2014 8:34 PM
Slamr - 2/20/2014 6:58 PM
The Michigan DNR (and I believe WI) is already cutting down on stocking salmon in Lake Michigan for this year and possibly next because of a lack of alewives. The hope is that less predators will bring back the forage base.
That being said...the chances of the introduction of an apex predator...yeah, going with no.
Wait... WHAT?!
Alewives are an invasive, aren't they? This is going back a long time, but if I remember correctly the reason the Coho and Chinook salmon were introduced to Lake Michigan in the first place was to control the alewife population, and because the native lake trout were all but fished out... Now they're reducing stocking in hopes the alewives will come back?
I don't get it...
Because stocking non-native salmonids turned into a billion dollar fishery dependent on non-native alewife....lose the alewife now and they lose $$$ |
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Location: Northwest Chicago Burbs | Because stocking non-native salmonids turned into a billion dollar fishery dependent on non-native alewife....lose the alewife now and they lose $$$
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*and fishing for, catching, and eating salmonids is pretty fun! |
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Posts: 72
| Muskies have been present in Wolf lake in Hammond for 25+ years. The lake has an inflow from Lake Michigan that flows
under Indianapolis Blvd. I have seen trout and salmon caught there in the fall years ago ago don't know if it is a one way trip thru the channel.
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Posts: 12
| Anglers are going to see a new apex-predator swimming in certain western and northern Michigan waters in future years. The DNR is continuing to expand its Great Lakes muskie program. I suspect an increasing number of anglers will be rising to the bait.
“Being able to raise Great Lakes muskies opened up the opportunity to stock drowned river mouths and lower river systems in western Michigan,” said Jay Wesley, the DNR’s southern Lake Michigan management supervisor. “We are going into a new era with these muskies.”
Not just "western" areas i.e. the Lower Grand (Grand Haven) and Macatawa (Holland) are within 90 miles or less of Chicago waters along the coast. With 10,000+ GLS fish being stocked in these waters and others slightly to the north in the next 5 years, as well as the previous 2yrs, I would bet a few more fish may wander down that way. Just a guess......Seeing how Green Bay fish have ventured across the lake into certain NW waters here in Michigan, it's very possible if not probable in the next 20 years....most will stay in shore and near shore, but fish do wander, and will move to find food. The Chicago River should be disconnected from the great lakes....Muskies were/are native to all of the Great Lakes. Salmon, the chicago river, asian carp, and others are not. |
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| ToddM - 2/21/2014 1:21 PM
Tomorrow at the IMA meeting we are discussing some proposals from the DNR one of which is promoting musky harvest of fish 30-40" and concentrating musky stocking on the biggest lakes. Going to be an interesting day tomorrow. Lake Michigan is a pipe dream.
What were the results of these discussions? |
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| Slamr - 2/21/2014 9:03 AM
WHY should there be muskies in Lake Michigan? If you have access, but you're not fishing salmon and trout because they're not muskies...you should try catching a 20lb+ king on 20lb mono line while not stopping the boat and having 8 other lines out on a small boat...it's crazy fun!
Because they'd eat all the YOY salmon, and that would help the alewife population? 
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Location: oswego, il | zofkbj - 2/24/2014 12:44 PM
ToddM - 2/21/2014 1:21 PM
Tomorrow at the IMA meeting we are discussing some proposals from the DNR one of which is promoting musky harvest of fish 30-40" and concentrating musky stocking on the biggest lakes. Going to be an interesting day tomorrow. Lake Michigan is a pipe dream.
What were the results of these discussions?
at this point they were vague suggestions that were intended for specific possible situations. We discussed our opposition and it was noted by the head of fisheries who was in attendance. The dnr values the opinions of the IMA and Muskies Inc. My feeling is it will die here.
Edited by ToddM 2/24/2014 8:09 PM
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Location: Chicago, IL | I know this is an old thread, but I thought it'd be great to get the discussion going again. The IL DNR has been stocking pike into the Chicago River the last few years. The DNR does not have the funds to raise and stock pike with the state any longer. Now feels like the perfect time to put some sound pressure on the state DNR to stock muskies in the Chicago River. They'll tell you that there's poor water quality and that the Muskies will just move down the Chicago River to the Des Plaines and Illinois Rivers. But so what?! Maybe they won't. Maybe they'll stay within the Chicago River system foraging on that varied menu that awaits them. And, even if they did move down to the Des Plaines and Illinois Rivers, there is already a nascent population in both systems. The DNR has stocked the Illinois River with its surplus fry in years past. Why not try dedicating these surplus fish further up the river system to Chicago?! Muskies will be here in Chicago eventually. They are native. Nature (with the help of fisherman) will find a way.
Edited by Slobasaurus 2/25/2017 7:36 AM
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Location: Minocqua, WI | Slobasaurus - 2/25/2017 7:35 AM
I know this is an old thread, but I thought it'd be great to get the discussion going again. The IL DNR has been stocking pike into the Chicago River the last few years. The DNR does not have the funds to raise and stock pike with the state any longer. Now feels like the perfect time to put some sound pressure on the state DNR to stock muskies in the Chicago River. They'll tell you that there's poor water quality and that the Muskies will just move down the Chicago River to the Des Plaines and Illinois Rivers. But so what?! Maybe they won't. Maybe they'll stay within the Chicago River system foraging on that varied menu that awaits them. And, even if they did move down to the Des Plaines and Illinois Rivers, there is already a nascent population in both systems. The DNR has stocked the Illinois River with its surplus fry in years past. Why not try dedicating these surplus fish further up the river system to Chicago?! Muskies will be here in Chicago eventually. They are native. Nature (with the help of fisherman) will find a way.
I'll be skeptical of downtown but won't surprise me if they live well. They would probably live well, since the fishes are thriving in less than idea waters and habitats. IL has no money though. Who knows where any of the N.E. IL urban fisheries will be going........ I once was skeptical of muskies living in Busse and then escaping, now taking up residence in Salt Creek along with a few lost fish in the Des Plaines. Now they're flourishing within that network of waterways, free of barriers and able to migrate anywhere. I'm not sure where funds came for those stocked fish in Busse, whether it was state of IL; forest preserve; private clubs.
I have been told by a few friends who fish downtown from shore that they've observed the occasional musky caught in the harbors mixed in with the big pike. They are legit sources but will never show the proof for fear of exploitation. |
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| It was surprising to see the number of Smallmouth and Largemouth bass coming out of the Chicago River downtown. I see lots of guys fishing the walls/piers during the warmer months. I think Muskies would at least have a chance in these waters, but like ToddM, I don't see it happening in Illinois.
RandalB |
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Location: E. Tenn | Slobasaurus - 2/25/2017 8:35 AM
Muskies will just move down the Chicago River to the Des Plaines and Illinois Rivers.
....but they'll eat all the Asian carp... |
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Location: Chicago, IL | Exactly! Not such a bad thing at all. Ragas- yes the state is out of money, but Muskies Inc. clubs like the Chicagoland Muskie Hunters are dying to contribute capital and field volunteer support. |
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Location: Northwest Chicago Burbs | The IL DNR is not going to stock Lake Michigan with muskies. They're not even stocking king salmon in the same numbers because of the alewife crash. Kings bring in zillions in commerce (charters, gear, events, blaa blaa blaa), muskies would bring in almost nothing and realistically would be snacking on declining alewife populations and the really expensive salmon and trout that get stocked.
Great dream, never going to happen. AND, if it did, Lake Michigan is pretty much an ocean...would take millions of fish stocked to create a viable population. And sad to say, 80% or more of muskie fisherman do not do open water/big water trolling, at least int the midwest. |
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Location: Chicago, IL | Where are all the "Yes Men"?! I'm proposing we get the Chicago River stocked first. The big lake is the dream, but we need to a small win (still a lot to overcome with the DNR) first. |
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Location: oswego, il | I dont see the dnr stocking the rivers. Just the sheer numbers it would take to build a fishery. I know they are in the fox but it is low level and low numbers.
I dont think asian carp would take over lake michigan either. For one, they need rivers to spawn, they are not lake spawners. Second, the competition for their food source is incredible. Almost every invasive in the lake eats what they eat. Both muscles, water flea, blood schrimp, alwewife, and i am sure to be missing some. Then there are the native stuff.
Edited by ToddM 2/28/2017 6:41 PM
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Location: Northwest Chicago Burbs | ToddM - 2/28/2017 6:40 PM
I dont think asian carp would take over lake michigan either. For one, they need rivers to spawn, they are not lake spawners. Second, the competition for their food source is incredible. Almost every invasive in the lake eats what they eat. Both muscles, water flea, blood schrimp, alwewife, and i am sure to be missing some. Then there are the native stuff.
GOLDFISH! I saw two about 24" at the dock in Waukegan Harbor a couple years ago. |
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Posts: 431
| There are some hog goldfish pulled through the ice here on Lake St Clair. It seems strange how a bright gold pet goldfish can bumble around a lake loaded with musky, bass and pike for years getting huge without ending up in a stomach. |
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Location: oswego, il | Goldfish are carp, they are not filter feeders like asian carp. There are giant carp in lake michigan. I hooked one two years ago smallie fishing. It came off before it spooled me. |
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Location: Lake Country, Wisconsin | Well well....looks like someone made a long journey south
http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/muskie-on-the-chicago-lakefront-...
Edited by Musky Brian 4/19/2017 8:34 AM
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Location: Northern Illinois | Cool thanks for sharing that. Good news for us FIBS.....
So your telling me there's a chance. |
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| Slamr - 2/28/2017 8:51 AM
The IL DNR is not going to stock Lake Michigan with muskies. They're not even stocking king salmon in the same numbers because of the alewife crash. Kings bring in zillions in commerce (charters, gear, events, blaa blaa blaa), muskies would bring in almost nothing and realistically would be snacking on declining alewife populations and the really expensive salmon and trout that get stocked.
Great dream, never going to happen. AND, if it did, Lake Michigan is pretty much an ocean...would take millions of fish stocked to create a viable population. And sad to say, 80% or more of muskie fisherman do not do open water/big water trolling, at least int the midwest.
WI DNR made the decision to cut way back on brown trout and lake trout stocking for Lake Michigan, while keeping up the King and Coho. It created a lot of push back from fishermen who have experienced incredible brown trout fishing from small boats, break walls and through the ice in the marinas around Milwaukee. The reason was simple: The commercial charters spent a lot of money lobbying the legislature and the regular fishermen don't have an effective lobbying group. The head of the WI assembly, Robin Vos (R) has publicly stated that he will not even talk to a lobbyist who had not personally donated to the Republican party and whose group has not donated. The charter captains did both. |
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Location: oswego, il | Musky Brian - 4/19/2017 8:33 AM
Well well....looks like someone made a long journey south
http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/muskie-on-the-chicago-lakefront-...
My guess its a "slobbasaurus" planting. There was one caught last year in indiana.
As far as the salmon go the charters want the kings. It is a shame but the lake is not the same as it was when charters could go get limits of 30lbers. Browns adapt well, kings do not but the arguement still remains despite the overwhelming evidence. I was told you could stock 7 steelhead for every king. I am sure the brown king ratio is favorable to the brown as well. Kings are the only fish that is not adapting to the changing forage. |
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| The brown trout fishing close to shore in the Milwaukee area has been amazing for several years. The local fishing shows have had guys catching and releasing multiple fish in the 30" range both through the ice and in boats along the piers and break walls.
A couple years ago the fishing show "City Limits" had Mike Iconalli fishing with live bait in the boat slips of a harbor in Milwaukee. He was going crazy, catching and losing giant brown trout. But lots of guys without "Lake Michigan" boats have taken advantage of this fishing as well. Sadly, with the focus on Kings and Coho, that is going to be a thing of the past. Which would probably suit the charter captains just fine. Some of them are just plain greedy, as shown when a feud between competing captains in the Sheboygan area resulted in a number of boats being torched. |
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| Fox river, Des Plaines river, Maybe the Dupage river, Chicago river. I'm surprised that no one has mentioned the Kankakee river. I'm aware it flows into Indiana but who knows. Maybe the state could work with Indiana in a joint stocking effort to create a trophy musky fishery out of the Kankakee! |
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Location: oswego, il | kdawg - 4/19/2017 11:34 AM
Fox river, Des Plaines river, Maybe the Dupage river, Chicago river. I'm surprised that no one has mentioned the Kankakee river. I'm aware it flows into Indiana but who knows. Maybe the state could work with Indiana in a joint stocking effort to create a trophy musky fishery out of the Kankakee!
The KKK (yes that is the correct abbreviation) river flows out of not into indiana. It joins the des plaines river which forms illinois. It would take a huge amount of fish to get a population going. The fox river has a nominal population that can be occasionally caught frequenting certain spots. |
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| Whats interesting about the Triple k is for as long as I can remember, it had a good fishable population of pike. And I'm not sure if the dnr ever stocked the river with pike meaning could there be a certain level of natural reproduction? I'm not a biologist so if there are backwater areas, one that comes to mine is the railroad bayou, where pike can reproduce, can muskies as well? I think the Triple k may be one of the few Illinois waters where pike do reproduce. Which leads me to the question would it not be a good idea to stock muskies where they may have a CHANCE to successfully spawn? KDAWG |
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Location: oswego, il | I did a survey on the KKK river when i was a teenager with the dnr. Pike were more prevalent towards the indiana border. I would call the population present but not common. We did not survey many past momence. Pike are present in the fox and desplaines river too. I believe the dnr may have stocked some in the dupage. Again it would take as many fish as the state produces now just to dedicate to one river if not more. |
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| My brother caught a King Salmon in the Des Plaines river, north of 135th Street, in Romeoville, quite a few years ago. He was in a kayak and saw a fish with it's dorsal fin and tail out of the water. It was in a little pool of water about a foot deep. He thought it was a carp until he got closer and saw it was a big salmon. He got out of the kayak and grabbed it by the tail. It was a big male, about 18 to 20 pounds. He got a couple of pictures. A picture of it was in an outdoor paper.
It must of come up the canal, made it through the locks, then up the river, through Lockport.
Also, heard of people catching steelheads in the canal, under the big bridge, in Lockport, and in the Des Plaines, south of Joliet. Of course, they were targeting other species.
Sorry about getting off topic, but it was just too cool, not to share. |
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Location: Minocqua, WI | ToddM - 4/19/2017 3:23 PM
I did a survey on the KKK river when i was a teenager with the dnr. Pike were more prevalent towards the indiana border. I would call the population present but not common. We did not survey many past momence. Pike are present in the fox and desplaines river too. I believe the dnr may have stocked some in the dupage. Again it would take as many fish as the state produces now just to dedicate to one river if not more.
DPR and its tributaries are actually quite infested with snake pike right now. Breeding like crazy. No stocking. |
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| well well......http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/muskie-on-the-chicago-lakefront-rare-catch-draws-crowd-at-adler/ |
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Location: Grand Rapids, MI | That recent Chicago fish corresponds to some stocking in Michigan that's only 90-ish miles away. Just as the Green Bay fish have wandered up and around Door County the fish stocked in Michigan are going to wander around the south half of the lake... this is only the beginning. |
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Location: Apparently where the Muskie aren't | Well, in that case, they will eventually be everywhere. Yay for migration!!! |
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| FWIW, a musky was caught out behind the planetarium a few weeks ago by a coho fisherman. If I knew how to post images, I could upload the photo that was posted on a local fishing site. nothing huge, low 30's inch fish... but a lucky and random catch none the less. I also went for bike ride earlier in the week along the river and saw nice mid 30's pike sunning himself along the river wall. Went back the next day with a rod, no luck. Oh well, getting into prime smallie season!
Edit: Found a link to the story - http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/muskie-on-the-chicago-lakefront-...
Edited by jhillman17 4/28/2017 9:25 AM
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Location: oswego, il | Cool, thats the third time the link has been posted on this thread!:-) pretty soon someone will post the "rainy lake" pike.
Edited by ToddM 4/28/2017 8:59 PM
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Location: Northwest Chicago Burbs | Heard this one was caught out of Waukegan Harbor a few weeks ago!
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Location: Delavan, WI | Nice move Slamr I was about to do the same thing |
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