Muskellunge

Q: Can you eat Muskellunge?

Lean, firm white meat with a mild flavor; challenging to prepare due to complex bone structure. Edible when properly filleted — baked or fried — but mostly released by sport anglers.

Q: How big does Muskellunge get?

Muskellunge can grow up to 183.0 cm long and weigh 36.0 kg.

Q: Where is Muskellunge found?

Native to the Great Lakes drainage, upper Mississippi River basin, and associated river systems of the midwestern United States and southern Canada. Prefers large, clear, cool lakes and slow-moving rivers. Large, clear lakes and rivers from Great Lakes to St. Lawrence, upper Mississippi, and Great Lakes tributaries. Prefers vegetated bays and backwaters in summer; open water in winter. Ambush predator.

Q: Is Muskellunge endangered?

The conservation status of Muskellunge is Least Concern according to the IUCN Red List.

Q: What family does Muskellunge belong to?

Muskellunge (Esox masquinongy) belongs to the family Esocidae (Pikes) in the order Esociformes (Pikes).

Abstract

Known as the fish of ten thousand casts for its elusiveness, the muskellunge is the largest member of the pike family and a formidable freshwater ambush predator. Pale silver-green with variable dark bars or spots and a deeply forked tail, it reaches nearly two metres in large, clear lakes and rivers from the Great Lakes to the upper Mississippi and St. Lawrence. It lurks among vegetated bays and backwaters in summer, striking prey with explosive acceleration. Its lean, firm white meat is edible but complicated by an intricate bone structure, so most fish are released by sport anglers who cast large bucktails and jerkbaits. The species is assessed as Least Concern.