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Posts: 114
| I know that 55 degree water temps is considered the "magic number" that will trigger muskies to get busy. I'm wondering if the late year we are having is changing that. Also, do you think muskies in different bodies of water all spawn at different times?
For example, here in Ohio, lakes in the south are without question either full-swing in the spawn or finished. But up north, Lake Erie is still only 47-48 degrees. Do you think the late year will make these fish spawn in lower water temps?
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Posts: 397
Location: Wisconsin | different waters certainly spawn at different rates. In Madison Wi, the spawn was finished much earlier than normal. In Northern Wi, muskies are starting to be seen paired up on smaller bodies, but not bigger waters in the same region.
For us in WI, this is a much earlier spawn, certainly more than last year. |
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Posts: 3147
| MN dnr is already done collecting eggs on lake Rebbeca. |
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Posts: 397
Location: Wisconsin | Interesting ^^ |
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Posts: 1283
| Im in Northern IL. Last friday I got my first ski of the year, water temp was 51 and the fish was very clean, same with others I know that have been caught. So I dont think the spawn has happened yet here. My fish was small but also had a big gut for its size leading me to believe it still had eggs. |
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Posts: 397
Location: Wisconsin | was it a bigger body of water Achotrod? |
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Posts: 2015
| lots of factors: with daylight hrs. playing a big roll.. and fish don't all go the same time.. some fish go early, there is usually a week when most go..then you have stragglers too.. depending on lake, weather, etc... spawn can last a month sometimes..I got a big fatty this spring April 16th, that was just about ready to pop. Water temps (surface) had bumped up into the upper 50's but she hadn't gone yet.. Surface temps "only" are not a great indicator of spawn time, from my experience. |
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Posts: 1283
| Fox Chain. So prob the largest inland lake system in Northern IL. |
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Posts: 1084
Location: Aurora | happy hooker - 4/27/2015 11:43 AM
MN dnr is already done collecting eggs on lake Rebbeca.
That was the annual easter egg hunt you saw.
The tip off should have been all the little wicker baskets, balloons, and 3 foot tall kidlets rummaging around in the brush. |
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Location: Grand Rapids, MI | Yes, much like last spring the cooler temps will have them spawning later than normal in many areas of the upper midwest. Here in Michigan, in 2014, we had fish that are normally done spawning in mid-May still spawning in early June. In a year like this when we had water temps rising into the spawning range only to cool off again, some of the fish will have started to spawn only to stop and waiting for temps to warm again. Others may not attempt to spawn this year if the eggs are mature but water temps are too cold. |
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Posts: 243
| Have been participating in fyke net surveys targeting muskies in the U.P. & Northern WI again this spring. Females were spilling eggs two weeks ago in a dark water flowage and they have yet to begin the process on a clear body of water just a few miles away. We're actually well ahead of recent springs from a weather/water temp standpoint, and I wouldn't consider it a late spring for this area. Many of our lakes still had ice cover at this time the last few years. As mentioned, they will go in and out of the motions over the next month+ depending on the body of water.
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Posts: 3518
Location: north central wisconsin | As Justun explains, they don't all 'go' at the same time, even during a 'normal' warmup. Will really nailed it, in terms of what I'm seeing here, in that the wild fluctuations this spring have had shallows at perfect temps for days, then back to low/mid 40's for weeks, only to warm up again. While this spring has seen a later than historical spawn in my area of WI, it is much earlier than the past 2 and closer to 'normal' when most have finished a week or two prior to the opener the first week of May. (as an optimist) it would appear we're not dealing with a prespawn/full on spawn situation similar to 2013&2014 when it took several weeks after opener for a consistent bite. Those years saw some of the latest spawns recorded after 2012 saw fish done and shallow backwaters warm and largely vacated by mid May.
One thing to be careful of, is using a main lake, or acedemia/usgs listed water temp for a spawning reference/estimation. Every body of water varies depending on influent(flow) diversity as well as differences in depth over the course of the system. One example I'll use is on one of our local flowages. On many years with a typical warm up, if we see a series of warm sunny days in late march early april, enough to get the walleyes spawning in force, it's become known that at least some Muskies are spawning in certain backwaters at the same time. In other words, the walleyes are finding low to mid 40 degree spawning comfort in the river channel upstream, while some of the backwaters are as warm as the daily high air temps. Once you find a known spawning site, you'll note the type of timing/environmental conditions that bring them in. Have fun!
Edited by Reef Hawg 4/29/2015 4:46 PM
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Posts: 45
| Hey Benji, very cool photo. Just curious, what are the multi year studies during the spawn in your area designed to do. Are you doing some tagging(PIT FLOY Anchor, or otherwise), fin clipping etc for recapture data collection? Thanks much, would be curious to see your data and what it might be telling us about the health of one system and how it compares to others in the area. We've done some similar sutdies in other areas etc, though many of us are of the opinion now that we should be leaving some of these now struggling populations alone during the spawn in attempt to reap as much success as nature will allow(please don't take the last sentance as ridicule, just trying to gather as much knowledge about the how's/where's/why's of any Muskellunge study). Thanks much.
Edited by Boots Electric 4/29/2015 4:57 PM
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Posts: 243
| PIT tags are being inserted into captured fish, as they've been in past years. (Boundary Waters Musky Club has purchased and donated PIT tags to the WI DNR.) Many of the fish are recaptured from previous years where surveys have taken already taken place, but several "new" fish are usually captured and tagged.
My understanding is the DNR is using the information to determine population health, growth rates, etc., as part of ongoing management. Fin clips and sampling are a part of the process. Not my study or data, the biologists determine when and where these happen. I've just been fortunate to be out for the ride a few times as a volunteer. It gives you a new appreciation for the job the survey crews have. Lot of fun, but long hours and physical work in weather conditions that usually aren't ideal. |
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Posts: 1283
| Starting to look a little more beat up and temps in the upper 50s now |
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Posts: 1283
| Spawn is done water in the mid 60s and fish are still beat up but recovering. Saw at least 40 Muskies and no pairs or spawning activity yesterday. |
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