Big Muskellunge Lake 2016-17

WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES CREEL SURVEY REPORT

VILAS COUNTY

2016-17

Treaty Fisheries Publication

Compiled by Jeff Blonski & Jason Halverson Treaty Fisheries Technicians

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION...... 1 GENERAL LAKE INFORMATION ...... 2 Location ...... 2 Physical Characteristics ...... 2 Seasons Surveyed ...... 2 Weather ...... 2 Fishing Regulations ...... 2 SPECIES CATCH AND HARVEST INFORMATION ...... 2 CREEL SURVEY RESULTS AND DISCUSSION ...... 3 Survey Logistics ...... 3 General Angler Information ...... 3 RESULTS BY SPECIES ...... 3 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ...... 4

SUMMARY TABLES

Table 1. Sportfishing effort summary ...... 5 Table 2. Creel survey synopses ...... 6 SPECIES CATCH AND HARVEST INFORMATION Gamefish Figure 1. Walleye ...... 7 Figure 2. Northern Pike ...... 8 Figure 3. Muskellunge ...... 9 Figure 4. Smallmouth Bass ...... 10 Figure 5. Largemouth Bass ...... 11 Panfish Figure 6. Yellow Perch ...... 12 Figure 7. Bluegill ...... 13 Figure 8. Black Crappie ...... 14 Figure 9. Rock Bass ...... 15

Cover Art: Steve Hilt, Portland, OR Fish Graphics: Virgil Beck, Stevens Point, WI INTRODUCTION hours per week, during the open season for Fish populations can fluctuate due to gamefish from the first Saturday in May natural forces (weather, predation, through the first Sunday in March. Creel competition), management actions (stocking, surveys are not conducted in November regulations, habitat improvement), when fishing effort is low and ice conditions inappropriate development (habitat are often unsafe. The survey is run during degradation), and harvest impacts. daylight hours, and shift times change from Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources month to month as day length changes. fisheries crews regularly conduct fishery surveys on area lakes and reservoirs to Creel survey clerks travel their lakes gather the information needed to monitor using a boat or snowmobile to count the changes, identify concerns, evaluate past number of anglers at predetermined times, management actions, and to prescribe and to interview anglers who have fishery management strategies. Netting and completed their fishing trip. Data is electrofishing surveys are used to gather data collected on what species they fished for, on the status of fish populations and catch, harvest, lengths of fish harvested, communities (species composition, marks (fin clips or tags), and hours of population size, reproductive success, fishing effort. Collecting completed-trip size/age distribution, and growth rates). The data provides the most accurate assessment other key component of the fishery that we of angling activities, and it avoids the need often need to measure is the harvest. to disturb anglers while they are fishing.

On many lakes in the Ceded Territory of A computer program is used to make northern Wisconsin, harvest of fish is estimates of total catch and harvest of each divided between sport anglers and the six species, catch and harvest rates, and total Chippewa tribes who harvest fish under fishing effort by month, as well as for the rights granted by federal treaties. The tribes year in total. Keep in mind that these are harvest fish mostly using a highly efficient only estimates based on the best information method, spearing, during a relatively short available, and not a complete accounting of time period in the spring. Every fish in the effort, catch, and harvest. Accurate spear harvest is counted – a complete estimates require that we sample a sufficient “census” of the harvest. and representative portion of the angling activity on a lake. The accuracy of creel We also measure the sport angler harvest survey results, therefore, depends on good to assess its impact on the fishery. However, cooperation and truthful responses by it would be highly impractical and very anglers when a creel clerk interviews them. costly to conduct a complete census of every angler who fishes on a lake. Therefore, we You may have encountered a DNR creel conduct creel surveys. survey clerk on a recent fishing trip. We appreciate your cooperation during an A creel survey is an assessment tool used interview. The survey only takes a moment to sample the fishing activities of anglers on of your time, and it gives the Department a body of water and make projections, or valuable information needed for estimates, of harvest and other fishery management of the fishery. parameters. Creel survey clerks work on randomly-selected days and shifts, forty

This report provides estimates of: Weather 1. Overall fishing effort (pressure) Ice-out on Big Muskellunge Lake was 2. Fishing effort directed at each species around April 19, 2016. Fishable ice formed 3. Catch and harvest rates on Big Muskellunge Lake in mid December. 4. Numbers of fish caught and harvested Fishing Regulations Also included are a physical description The following seasons, daily bag limits, of Big Muskellunge Lake; discussion of and length limits were in place on Big results of the survey; and detailed Muskellunge Lake during the 2016-17 summaries, by species, of fishing effort, fishing season: catch and harvest. Bag Min. Species Season Limit Size Largemouth Bass 5/7-3/5 1 18" GENERAL LAKE Smallmouth Bass 5/7-6/17 Catch&Release 6/18-3/5 1 18" INFORMATION Musky 5/28-11/30 1 40" Big Northern Pike 5/7-3/5 5 none Walleye 5/7-3/5 3 Muskellunge No Minimum, 1>14" Lake Panfish year round 25 none Rock Bass year round none none

SPECIES CATCH AND HARVEST INFORMATION Angling effort, catch, and harvest information is summarized for each species in Table 2 and Figures 1-9. Table 2 also includes a comparison of these statistics Location with the previous creel survey. Information Big Muskellunge Lake is located in presented about species whose fishing Vilas County near the town of Boulder season extends beyond March 5 should be Junction. considered minimum estimates. Each species page has up to five graphs depicting Physical Characteristics the following: Big Muskellunge Lake is a 930 acre seepage lake with a maximum depth of 70 1. ESTIMATED FISHING EFFORT feet. Littoral substrate consists primarily of Total calculated number of hours sand, with gravel, rock and some muck also during each month that anglers spent present. Big Muskellunge Lake contains fishing for a species. alkaline, clear water of high transparency.

2. ESTIMATED SPECIFIC CATCH Seasons Surveyed AND HARVEST RATES The period referred to in this report as Calculated number of hours it takes the 2016-17 fishing season ran from May 7, an angler to catch or harvest a fish of 2016 through March 5, 2017. The open the indicated species. Only water creel survey ran from May 7 through information from anglers who were October 31, 2016, and the ice fishing creel specifically targeting that species is survey ran from December 1, 2016 through reported. March 5, 2017.

3. ESTIMATED CATCH AND RESULTS BY SPECIES HARVEST Calculated number of fish of the Walleye (Table 2, Figure 1) indicated species caught or harvested Walleyes received the most fishing effort by all anglers, regardless of targeted of any gamefish species during the 2016-17 species. season. Anglers spent 10,197 hours targeting walleye. The greatest fishing effort 4. LENGTH DISTRIBUTION OF for walleyes was in January (1,596 hours). HARVESTED FISH September had the least amount of walleye All fish of a species that were fishing effort (682 hours). measured by the clerk during the entire creel survey season. Total catch of walleyes was 4,563 fish with a harvest of 2,283 fish. Highest catch 5. LARGEST AND AVERAGE (1,375 fish) occurred in December, and LENGTH OF HARVESTED FISH highest harvest (510 fish) occurred in June. Monthly largest and average length Anglers fished an average of 2.3 hours to of harvested fish of a species. Only catch, and 4.5 hours to harvest, a walleye those fish measured by the creel during the survey. The mean length of survey clerk are reported. harvested walleyes was 14.2 inches, and the largest walleye measured was a 25.3-inch CREEL SURVEY RESULTS fish.

AND DISCUSSION Northern Pike (Table 2, Figure 2) Fishing effort directed at northern pike Survey Logistics was 1,890 hours during the 2016-17 season. The creel survey went well. We Northern pike fishing effort was greatest in encountered no unusual problems February (874 hours). Total catch of conducting the survey or calculating the northern pike was 874 fish with a harvest of projections contained in the report. This 256 fish. The mean length of harvested was the fourth time the Department northern pike was 23.3 inches, and the conducted a creel survey on Big largest measured was a 32.1-inch fish. Muskellunge Lake. The last creel survey took place in 1996-97. Muskellunge (Table 2, Figure 3) Anglers spent 1,047 hours targeting General Angler Information muskellunge during the 2016-17 season. Anglers spent 15,104 hours, or 16.2 Muskellunge fishing effort was greatest in hours per acre, fishing Big Muskellunge October (291 hours). Total catch of Lake during the 2016-17 season (Table 1). muskellunge was 18 fish, and the highest That was less than the Vilas County average catch (9 fish) occurred in June. Anglers of 35.2 hours per acre, and slightly less fished 58.8 hours to catch a muskellunge, fishing effort than that recorded during the and there was no documented harvest during 1996-97 creel survey (18.5 hours per acre). the survey. June was the most heavily fished month (2,292 hours). Fishing effort was lightest in December (942 hours). The creel clerks were able to conduct 358 interviews throughout the survey (Table 1).

Smallmouth Bass (Table 2, Figure 4) 9.0 inches. Fishing effort targeted at smallmouth bass was 2,002 hours during the 2016-17 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS season. Smallmouth bass fishing effort was greatest in June (740 hours). Total catch of Completion of this survey was possible smallmouth bass was 1,510 fish, with 12 because of the efforts of the following harvested. Highest catch (733 fish) occurred fisheries management and treaty fisheries in June. Anglers fished an average of 1.4 staff: Lawrence Eslinger, Jeff Blonski, Joelle hours to catch a smallmouth bass during the Underwood, Jason Halverson, Tim Tobias, survey. Steve Gilbert, Eric Brown, and Reuben Frey. Doug Day, John Davis, and Emily McCall Largemouth Bass (Table 2, Figure 5) were the creel clerks on Big Muskellunge Fishing effort directed at largemouth Lake during the survey period. bass was 235 hours during the 2016-17 season. Largemouth bass fishing effort was We thank all the anglers who took the greatest in August (112 hours). Total catch time to offer information about their fishing of largemouth bass was 28 fish, with no trip to the survey clerk. Without their documented harvest. Highest catch (19 fish) cooperation the survey would not have been occurred in May. Anglers fished an average possible. of 15.2 hours to catch a largemouth bass during the survey. The Department thanks our cooperators, Northern Highland American Legion State Panfish (Table 2, Figures 6-9) Forest – Crystal Lake Ranger Station, who generously allowed the Department to keep were the most sought Yellow Perch a boat and/or snowmobile on the property after panfish species during the survey. during this survey. Fishing effort directed at yellow perch was

3,535 hours. Total catch of yellow perch This creel report was reviewed by John was 13,150 fish, with 2,779 being harvested. Kubisiak, Lawrence Eslinger, and Hadley The mean length of yellow perch harvested Boehm of the Wisconsin Department of was 8.7 inches. Natural Resources, Woodruff, Wisconsin.

Bluegills received 290 hours of directed Additional copies of this report, and fishing effort. Total catch of bluegills was those covering other local lakes, can be 104 fish, with 104 harvested. The mean obtained from the Woodruff DNR or online length of bluegills harvested was 8.0 inches. at: http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/Fishing/north/trtycrls Black Crappies received 81 hours of rvys.html directed fishing effort. Anglers only caught 3 black crappies, with no documented harvest.

Rock Bass received only 21 hours of directed fishing effort. However, anglers caught 279 rock bass and harvested 176 fish. The mean length of rock bass harvested was

Table 1. Sportfishing effort summary, Big Muskellunge Lake, 2016-17 season.

Ceded Number of 1996-97 Total Vilas County Territory Angler Party Total Angler Total Angler Angler Average Average Month Interviews Hours Hours/Acre Hours/Acre Hours/Acre Hours/Acre May 33 1202 1.3 1.8 5.3 4.9 June 49 2292 2.5 3.9 6.9 6.3 July 61 2027 2.2 4.2 7.3 6.7 August 52 1833 2.0 3.4 6.4 5.4 September 41 1424 1.5 2.1 4.2 3.3 October 52 1311 1.4 0.9 2.0 1.5 December 12 942 1.0 0.8 0.7 1.1 January 22 1767 1.9 0.6 1.1 1.7 February 27 2041 2.2 0.7 1.2 1.6 March 9 265 0.3 0.1 0.1 0.2 *Summer Total 288 10090 10.8 16.3 32.1 28.1 *Winter Total 70 5014 5.4 2.2 3.1 4.6 Grand Total 358 15104 16.2 18.5 35.2 32.7

*"Summer" is May-October; "Winter" is December-March

Number of Angler Party Interviews is the number of groups of anglers interviewed by the creel clerk. A party is considered the members of a group who fish together in the same boat, ice shanty, or from shore. The clerk fills out one interview form for each group of anglers. The number of individual anglers actually contacted by the clerk is usually much greater than the number of groups listed in this table since most groups consist of more than one angler.

Total Angler Hours is the estimated total number of hours that anglers spent fishing on Big Muskellunge Lake during each month surveyed.

Total Angler Hours/Acre is the total angler hours divided by the area of the lake in acres. This is useful in order to compare effort on Big Muskellunge Lake to other lakes.

1996-97 Total Angler Hours/Acre is the total angler hours divided by the area of the lake in acres. This is from the previous creel survey that took place on Big Muskellunge Lake.

County Average Hours/Acre is the average angler effort in hours per acre for county lakes that have been surveyed since 1990. This value is useful for fishing pressure comparisons with other waters.

Ceded Territory Average Hours/Acre is the average angler effort in hours per acre for inland lakes in the Ceded Territory that have been surveyed since 1990. This value can be used to compare Big Muskellunge Lake to other lakes in northern Wisconsin.

5 Table 2. Comparison of creel survey synopses, Big Muskellunge Lake, 2016-17 and 1996-97 fishing seasons.

CREEL YEAR: 2016-17 SPECIFIC SPECIFIC MEAN DIRECTED CATCH HARVEST LENGTH OF EFFORT PERCENT TOTAL RATE TOTAL RATE HARVESTED SPECIES (Hours) OF TOTAL CATCH (Hrs/Fish) * HARVEST (Hrs/Fish) ** FISH Walleye 10197 52.8% 4563 2.2 2283 4.5 14.2 Northern Pike 1890 9.8% 874 8.9 256 15.6 23.3 Muskellunge 1047 5.4% 18 58.8 0 Smallmouth Bass 2002 10.4% 1510 1.4 12 217.4 20.6 Largemouth Bass 235 1.2% 28 15.2 0 Yellow Perch 3535 18.3% 13150 0.3 2779 1.4 8.7 Bluegill 290 1.5% 104 3.0 104 3.0 8.0 Black Crappie 81 0.4% 3 0 Rock Bass 21 0.1% 279 0.8 176 0.8 9.0 6 * A blank cell in this column indicates that no fish of a given species were caught by anglers who specifically targeted that species. ** A blank cell in this column indicates that no fish of a given species were harvested by anglers who specifically targeted that species.

CREEL YEAR: 1996-97 SPECIFIC SPECIFIC MEAN DIRECTED CATCH HARVEST LENGTH OF EFFORT PERCENT TOTAL RATE TOTAL RATE HARVESTED SPECIES (Hours) OF TOTAL CATCH (Hrs/Fish) HARVEST (Hrs/Fish) FISH Walleye 9733 40.8% 2490 4.0 912 10.9 14.8 Northern Pike 1540 6.5% 382 6.6 53 40.0 22.1 Muskellunge 2764 11.6% 71 49.8 0 0.0 - Smallmouth Bass 1673 7.0% 235 13.0 22 76.3 12.3 Largemouth Bass 1704 7.1% 77 31.9 11 263.0 15.6 Yellow Perch 3988 16.7% 6384 0.7 2905 1.4 8.1 Bluegill 1673 7.0% 178 18.2 60 28.1 6.5 Black Crappie 520 2.2% 0 0.0 0 0.0 - Rock Bass 161 0.7% 609 1.1 74 6.1 8.4 WALLEYE

PROJECTED FISHING EFFORT

2000

1596 1600 1422 1368 1271 1200 1057 942 802 810 800 682

ANGLING HOURS ANGLING 400 247

0 MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. MONTH

PROJECTED SPECIFIC CATCH AND HARVEST RATES 50.0 PROJECTED CATCH AND HARVEST 1600 40.7 1375 40.0 1200 1019 30.0 21.6 800 572 20.0 17.4 510 14.0 363 346 364 400 337 316 308 292 10.7 10.8 203 175 195 150 92 151

HOURS PER FISH 50

10.0 NUMBER OF FISH 4.1 5.3 4.1 18 11 2.4 2.5 2.5 3.4 3.9 2.8 2.6 2.2 1.2 2.2 0.7 0 0.0 MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR.

7 MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. MONTH MONTH CATCH HARVEST

CATCH HARVEST

AVERAGE AND LARGEST LENGTH OF LENGTH DISTRIBUTION OF FISH FISH HARVESTED 120 MEASURED BY THE CREEL CLERK 28 25.3 104 24.0 24 22.1 21.7 100 91 19.6 19.4 20 18.3 18.7 16.5 16.9 80 14.6 14.5 14.8 16 13.9 14.4 14.0 14.3 14.1 13.6 14.0

60 INCHES 12 42 37 8 40 29 23 20 4 NUMBER OF FISH 20 16 6 1 4 2 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 MONTH INCHES AVERAGE LARGEST

Figure 1. Walleye sportfishing effort, catch, harvest, and length distribution, Big Muskellunge Lake, during 2016-17 season. PROJECTED FISHING EFFORT 1000 874 NORTHERN PIKE

800 662 600

400 ANGLING HOURS ANGLING 200 107 68 90 42 31 0 11 5 0 MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. MONTH

PROJECTED SPECIFIC CATCH AND HARVEST RATES PROJECTED CATCH AND HARVEST 30.0 26.0 250 25.0 203 200 20.0 18.3 14.9 14.9 150 123 114 15.0 102 91 84 100 72 10.0 6.8 7.6 6.1 50 49 44 4.9 35 42 34 5.0 3.0 3.7 3.7 50 28 21 22 HOURS PER FISH 2.0 2.0 10 NUMBER OF FISH 6 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 2 0 0.0 0 MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. 8 MONTH MONTH CATCH HARVEST CATCH HARVEST

AVERAGE AND LARGEST LENGTH OF LENGTH DISTRIBUTION OF FISH FISH HARVESTED MEASURED BY THE CREEL CLERK 40 15 31.5 32.1 32.0 12 28.0 12 30 27.2 24.0 25.1 24.9 23.5 23.5 22.4 22.9 22.8 23.2 23.2 20.6 21.1 21.6 9 20 INCHES 6 5 5 5 10 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 NUMBER OF FISH 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 MONTH INCHES AVERAGE LARGEST

Figure 2. Northern pike sportfishing effort, catch, harvest, and length distribution, Big Muskellunge Lake, during 2016-17 season. MUSKELLUNGE PROJECTED FISHING EFFORT 400

291 300 243 208 200 155 150

100 ANGLING HOURS ANGLING

0 MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. MONTH 9

PROJECTED SPECIFIC CATCH AND HARVEST RATES PROJECTED CATCH AND HARVEST 12 100.0 83.3 9 80.0 9

6 60.0 51.8 6

3 40.0 3 16.8 20.0 NUMBER OF FISH 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

HOURS PER FISH 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. MONTH MONTH CATCH HARVEST CATCH HARVEST

Figure 3. Muskellunge sportfishing effort, catch, harvest, and length distribution, Big Muskellunge Lake, during 2016-17 season. SMALLMOUTH BASS PROJECTED FISHING EFFORT

800 740

600

411 400 277 273

156

ANGLING HOURS ANGLING 200 145

0 MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. MONTH

PROJECTED SPECIFIC CATCH AND HARVEST RATES PROJECTED CATCH AND HARVEST 800 733 100.0 80.0 80.0 600

417 60.0 400 40.0 200 116 116 82 20.0 NUMBER OF FISH 47 HOURS PER FISH 4.2 3.8 0 9 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.7 0.0 1.1 3.0 0.0 2.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0 MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR.

10 MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. MONTH MONTH CATCH HARVEST CATCH HARVEST

AVERAGE AND LARGEST LENGTH OF LENGTH DISTRIBUTION OF FISH FISH HARVESTED MEASURED BY THE CREEL CLERK 25 2 21.1 21.1 20.0 20.0 20

15 1 1 INCHES 1 10

5 NUMBER OF FISH 0 0 MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 MONTH INCHES AVERAGE LARGEST

Figure 4. Smallmouth bass sportfishing effort, catch, harvest, and length distribution, Big Muskellunge Lake, during 2016-17 season. LARGEMOUTH BASS

PROJECTED FISHING EFFORT 120 112

90 71

60 52

30 ANGLING HOURS ANGLING

0 MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. MONTH 11

PROJECTED CATCH AND HARVEST PROJECTED SPECIFIC CATCH AND HARVEST RATES 20 19 15.0 12.2 16 12.0 12 9.0 8.3 9 8 6.0 4 3.0 NUMBER OF FISH

HOURS PER FISH 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0 0.0 MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. MONTH MONTH CATCH HARVEST CATCH HARVEST

Figure 5. Largemouth bass sportfishing effort, catch, harvest, and length distribution, Big Muskellunge Lake, during 2016-17 season. YELLOW PERCH

PROJECTED FISHING EFFORT

1600 1424

1200

800 603 614 433 400 ANGLING HOURS ANGLING 135 163 82 14 28 39 0 MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. MONTH

PROJECTED SPECIFIC CATCH AND HARVEST RATES PROJECTED CATCH AND HARVEST 10000 25.0 8920 20.6 8000 20.0

15.0 6000

10.0 4000 2013 4.1 5.0 2.7 2000 1064

2.2 NUMBER OF FISH

HOURS PER FISH 685 1.4 0.9 1.0 1.3 344 457 604 0.0 0.0 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.5 0.3 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.6 0.2 0 0 204 204 313 127 100 213 192 278 163 40 8 0.0 0 12 MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. MONTH MONTH CATCH HARVEST CATCH HARVEST

LENGTH DISTRIBUTION OF FISH AVERAGE AND LARGEST LENGTH OF MEASURED BY THE CREEL CLERK FISH HARVESTED 150 15 14.1

11.9 117 11.6 11.4 120 10.7 10.8 10.8 10.1 10.5 10.3 10 8.8 8.9 9.1 9.0 8.4 8.5 8.5 8.3 90 84 73

60 INCHES 5 32

NUMBER OF FISH 30 7 1 5 1 1 0 0 MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 MONTH INCHES AVERAGE LARGEST

Figure 6. Yellow perch sportfishing effort, catch, harvest, and length distribution, Big Muskellunge Lake, during 2016-17 season. BLUEGILL

PROJECTED FISHING EFFORT 80 66 60 60 45

40 32 28 29

20 14 16 ANGLING HOURS ANGLING 0 MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. MONTH

PROJECTED SPECIFIC CATCH AND HARVEST RATES PROJECTED CATCH AND HARVEST

22.9 22.9 100 25.0 86 86 20.0 80

15.0 60

10.0 40

5.0 20 11 11 HOURS PER FISH 8 8

1.4 1.4 NUMBER OF FISH 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.3 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. 13 MONTH MONTH CATCH HARVEST CATCH HARVEST

AVERAGE AND LARGEST LENGTH OF LENGTH DISTRIBUTION OF FISH FISH HARVESTED 10 MEASURED BY THE CREEL CLERK 9 12 10.0 9.5 10 8.8 8 7 7.9 7.8 8.1 8 6 6

4 INCHES 4 2 2

NUMBER OF FISH 1 1 1 0 0 MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 MONTH INCHES AVERAGE LARGEST

Figure 7. Bluegill sportfishing effort, catch, harvest, and length distribution, Big Muskellunge Lake, during 2016-17 season. BLACK CRAPPIE 14

PROJECTED FISHING EFFORT PROJECTED CATCH AND HARVEST 80 4

60 3 60 3

40 2

21 20 1 NUMBER OF FISH

ANGLING HOURS ANGLING 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. MONTH MONTH CATCH HARVEST

Figure 8. Black crappie sportfishing effort, catch, harvest, and length distribution, Big Muskellunge Lake, during 2016-17 season. ROCK BASS

PROJECTED FISHING EFFORT 25 21 20

ANGLING HOURS ANGLING 5 0 0 0 0 0 MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. MONTH

PROJECTED SPECIFIC CATCH AND HARVEST RATES

1.0 PROJECTED CATCH AND HARVEST 200 0.8 0.8 170 0.8 160

0.6 120 76 0.4 80 70 70

HOURS PER FISH 40 0.2 19 19 15 NUMBER OF FISH 0 0 5 6 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0 15 0.0 MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. MONTH MONTH CATCH HARVEST CATCH HARVEST

LENGTH DISTRIBUTION OF FISH AVERAGE AND LARGEST LENGTH OF FISH HARVESTED MEASURED BY THE CREEL CLERK 12 10.5 16 9.8 14 9.2 13 10 8.8 8.8 9.1 8.9 8.9 8.1 8.2 12 8

6 8 INCHES 4 4 3 2 NUMBER OF FISH 1 0 0 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. MONTH INCHES AVERAGE LARGEST

Figure 9. Rock bass sportfishing effort, catch, harvest, and length distribution, Big Muskellunge Lake, during 2016-17 season.