COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife is stocking 20,000 muskellunge, or muskies, in nine inland lakes this fall for future fishing enjoyment. Muskies can grow to more than 50 inches in length and have long been a popular sport fish for anglers.
The Division of Wildlife raises muskellunge at the Kincaid (Pike County) and London (Madison County) state fish hatcheries. The hatcheries stock 10- to 12-inch muskies in nine lakes each fall. Muskies are a predatory sport fish that grow quickly and create trophy fishing opportunities in places such as Alum Creek Lake, C.J. Brown Reservoir, Caesar Creek Lake, Clearfork Reservoir, Lake Milton, Leesville Lake, Piedmont Lake, Salt Fork Lake, and West Branch Reservoir. In addition to reservoirs where they are stocked, muskellunge are caught in many of Ohio’s river systems.
Photo: ODNR
The Division of Wildlife created the Muskie Angler Log to gather public reports of muskie catches and use that information to better manage the fishery. Muskies longer than 40 inches have been recorded in each of the nine lakes to be stocked this year, and eight of those lakes have yielded muskies longer than 50 inches.
Anglers who catch a muskellunge measuring 40 inches or longer are eligible to receive a Fish Ohio award. The Fish Ohio program annually recognizes thousands of anglers who catch one of 25 species of sport fish of a qualifying length. Since 1976, the program has awarded a Fish Ohio pin to any angler who qualifies. There were 348 qualifying muskies reported in 2024, with the largest a 53-inch trophy from Alum Creek Lake. The top 10 waters in which anglers caught Fish Ohio muskies in 2024 were:
- West Branch Reservoir (101 Fish Ohio entries)
- Leesville Lake (51)
- Alum Creek Lake (35)
- Piedmont Lake (28)
- Pymatuning Lake (28)
- Caesar Creek Lake (16)
- C.J. Brown Reservoir (14)
- Salt Fork Lake (14)
- Clearfork Reservoir (11)
- Mahoning River (9)
Ohio’s state record muskie, weighing 55.1 pounds and measuring 50.25 inches long, was caught in Piedmont Lake in 1972. Ohio record fish, tracked by the Outdoor Writers of Ohio, are determined based on weight only.
The Division of Wildlife operates six state fish hatcheries to manage fish populations and increase public fishing opportunities. Eleven fish species are stocked statewide, and the agency put more than 46 million fish into public waters in 2024. Learn more about fish stocking at wildohio.gov, or view complete fish stocking records at data.ohio.gov.
Sales of fishing licenses along with the federal Sport Fish Restoration program support the operation of Division of Wildlife fish hatcheries. Since 1950, the Sport Fish Restoration program has dedicated permanent funding to fishery conservation through federal excise taxes on sport fishing equipment, import duties on fishing tackle and pleasure boats, and the portion of the gasoline fuel tax attributable to small engines and motorboats. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service annually apportions these funds that the Division of Wildlife uses to acquire habitat, produce and stock fish, conduct research and assessment surveys, provide aquatic education, and secure fishing access.
Anglers ages 16 and older are required to have an Ohio fishing license to fish in state public waters. An annual license is $25 and is valid for one year after purchase. A one-day fishing license costs $14 and may be redeemed for credit toward the purchase of a one-year fishing license. Licenses and permits can be purchased online at wildohio.gov, through the HuntFish OH app, and at participating license sales agents.