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Location: PA Angler | So what’s your average size Muskies you catch in the areas of water you fish.
For most of what I get in the waters I fish, is usually 35” to around 40”. Just curious to see what others are at. |
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Posts: 49
| Last couple years my fish size average has been 38 inches. |
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Posts: 408
Location: MN | I mostly fish MN and NW Ontario. My averages 2016-2022:
MN: mean 43.25, median 43.5
ON: mean 40.42, median 40 |
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Posts: 478
Location: NW WI | Probably 35, largest 42. |
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| I guess my average is similar to Lupo's. |
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Posts: 8716
| S WI: 35"
N WI: 38"
NW Ontario: 42"
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Posts: 10
Location: NE WI | I only fish Green bay and last season my ave fish was 43.25 ". My biggest was 52.5'', and the biggest in the boat was my son's 57 " |
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Posts: 10
Location: NE WI | I only fish Green bay and last season my ave fish was 43.25 ". My biggest was 52.5'', and the biggest in the boat was my son's 57 " |
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Posts: 45
| Inland waters in E Ontario seem to be about 35". |
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Posts: 45
| .
Edited by EsoxWanderer 3/4/2023 4:41 PM
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Location: PA Angler | Interesting to see how it’s about the same threw out our water ways. Seems like anything over 45” is starting to get into them big trophy sizes. |
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Posts: 1171
| We never tracked our under 30" fish and when my dad was alive we would leave Colorado on a Thursday drive all night stop at R & H's get a couple new lures and our fishing License, check in at the resort, then off to a action Lake (catch some low 30's plus some undersized) back to the cabin and off to Friday Night Fish Fry. Then we would try for bigger fish the rest of the week. Wisconsin fish 30"-40" Our friend John and my nep hew Jon largest fish in the 30"s in Wisconsin, My dad had 31 pounder mounted when he was 17 and my largest Wisconsin fish was 44" release.
In Minnesota our fish are more then half 40" my dad's largest is 47" me 50" but thin.
Ontario half our fish over 40, John 42" Jon 40" 1/2 me 39" 1/2 and dad 53" and thick and I think had some eggs in it.
My dad's 53 was caught on the first of July he lost it's twin 25 years earlyer to the day in Wisconsin right in front of my grandparents home. This fish was caught down the shoreline in the fall and was 52" and over 40 pounds. That Wisconsin fish showed it's self a lot people come all over to try to catch it including a lot of off duty guides.
My dad's largest Wisconsin fish was caught on 4th of July. My dad has caught big fish on holidays.
I've never been in Ontario and not caught a Muskie but 39 1/2 is the best I've done. I think my 39 !/2 and my nephews 40 1/2 were the same fish caught in the same place a year a part. |
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Posts: 103
| Last year I caught 7 muskies, all of the tiger/hybrid variety. The average was 29 inches.
The previous year (2021) I caught 4, but the average was 38.6 inches. All tiger/hybrid variety too. They were all slobs that year, as opposed to last year when I caught more, smaller ones.
All locally caught in the greater Twin Cities metro area.
Edited by gimruis 3/17/2023 10:19 AM
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Posts: 20178
Location: oswego, il | The average size is relative to where you fish. I would be willing to bet the 35" fish in northern Wisconsin is as old as the 43" fish in green bay. |
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Posts: 8716
| I read somewhere that your average 40" WI Shoepac strain musky is likely over 20 years old, and it's rare for them to get much larger than that. I do believe it's mostly genetics, but then most of those lakes are the same - relatively infertile, perch/panfish forage base, just not a lot of habitat or forage to produce a population of large muskies. Add in what I'd call a serious pike infestation and increasing populations of LMB and it's not hard to see why a 45" fish is a rarity in N/WI. There are a few larger lakes with the right combination of forage - sucker/redhorse and (fewer and fewer these days) lakes with a healthy cisco population, and some trout lakes to be had, but they are still low density fisheries.
I've often wondered if stocking fatty forage would do more for the musky population than stocking muskies in those cases. |
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Posts: 1197
Location: Walker, MN | I've been keeping track for a dozen years, and the average nearly every year is 45". Although I don't count fish under 30". Typically 1/10 is 50"+ |
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Posts: 2004
| esoxaddict - 3/28/2023 1:35 PM
I read somewhere that your average 40" WI Shoepac strain musky is likely over 20 years old, and it's rare for them to get much larger than that. I do believe it's mostly genetics, but then most of those lakes are the same - relatively infertile, perch/panfish forage base, just not a lot of habitat or forage to produce a population of large muskies. Add in what I'd call a serious pike infestation and increasing populations of LMB and it's not hard to see why a 45" fish is a rarity in N/WI. There are a few larger lakes with the right combination of forage - sucker/redhorse and (fewer and fewer these days) lakes with a healthy cisco population, and some trout lakes to be had, but they are still low density fisheries.
I've often wondered if stocking fatty forage would do more for the musky population than stocking muskies in those cases.
Some lakes in AR have stocked shad and have seen an increase in the size of the LMB. Could work for muskies too.
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Location: Eastern Ontario | So you guys are talking average length NOT SIZE . I've caught 50 inch plus muskies from a small local stream that were built like tube socks carrying no weight and 50 inch St Lawrence fish built like pigs. I fished the Larry for 4 years before catching a fish under 48 inches and thinking there were no ( or very few) small fish which because of the VHS die off may have been the case. The tube socks could have been almost twice as old as the fish from the Larry. Its a matter of total numbers and type and amount of available forage. |
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Location: PA Angler | horsehunter - 4/22/2023 7:12 AM
So you guys are talking average length NOT SIZE . I've caught 50 inch plus muskies from a small local stream that were built like tube socks carrying no weight and 50 inch St Lawrence fish built like pigs. I fished the Larry for 4 years before catching a fish under 48 inches and thinking there were no ( or very few) small fish which because of the VHS die off may have been the case. The tube socks could have been almost twice as old as the fish from the Larry. Its a matter of total numbers and type and amount of available forage.
Yes talking about average lengths not lbs. Seems like they get to a certain length. As for lbs I’ve caught them the same length but they all weight can be different. Female seem to be a lot heavier? But I do agree on what they eat. |
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Location: PA Angler | ARmuskyaddict - 4/21/2023 8:53 PM
esoxaddict - 3/28/2023 1:35 PM
I read somewhere that your average 40" WI Shoepac strain musky is likely over 20 years old, and it's rare for them to get much larger than that. I do believe it's mostly genetics, but then most of those lakes are the same - relatively infertile, perch/panfish forage base, just not a lot of habitat or forage to produce a population of large muskies. Add in what I'd call a serious pike infestation and increasing populations of LMB and it's not hard to see why a 45" fish is a rarity in N/WI. There are a few larger lakes with the right combination of forage - sucker/redhorse and (fewer and fewer these days) lakes with a healthy cisco population, and some trout lakes to be had, but they are still low density fisheries.
I've often wondered if stocking fatty forage would do more for the musky population than stocking muskies in those cases.
Some lakes in AR have stocked shad and have seen an increase in the size of the LMB. Could work for muskies too.
Are fish comm… will stock Muskie in lakes or bigger waters and I’ve have seen and caught a lot of big fat ones in the creeks. Mostly around trout opener and trout stocked creeks. I think there’s a reason why my Muskie love trout pattern lures.
Fish comm.. does a great job at feeding muskie as well as stocking them. |
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Posts: 129
Location: Rochester, New York | Usually 0" but when I go up to the islands the range muskies which while the population is going down the ones the ones that remain and that i never catch are between 50"-60"
Guy caught a 59" 1/2 fish last year. |
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Posts: 10
| Mean of 40.25"
Median of 39.5"
Primarily LOTW |
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Posts: 70
| If I had to guess I'd say it's low to mid 30 inch range. I thought this was really bad, but seeing everybody else's response makes me feel better. I thought the muskie fishing sucked near me, but maybe I'm the bad fisherman here. |
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