Prairie Lake Muskie

IDNR biologists conducted an annual, spring trap net survey on Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area’s Prairie Lake to assess the muskie population on 3/26 – 3/28.  They collected a total of 47 muskie in 48 trap net nights measuring up to 47.0″ and weighing up to 36.8 lbs.  They collected 23 females and 24 males with 3 fish weighing over 30 lbs.  All fish were in excellent body condition.

IDNR started conducting a population estimate and age and growth study on Prairie Lake muskie in 2016 using PIT tags (Passive Integrated Transponder), which are small electronic tags that have a unique ID number that allow them to identify individual fish.  They are inserted near the dorsal fin of the fish and can only be located and read by a PIT tag reader.  During the 2018 spring survey, we collected 34 new fish and 13 recaptures (1 fish was captured three years in a row).

Pictured are a 46.4″ – 33.8 lb fish on the left and a 45.3″ – 26.9 lb fish on the right. 

 (See attachments)

Nerissa McClelland
IDNR Fisheries
Havana Field Office