Lake Environments

Oligotrophic lakes -- those extremely deep, clear, infertile lakes usually associated with lake trout -- are generally poor muskie waters because they simply do not produce enough forage and offer very little in the way of moderately shallow cover that muskies can use. At the opposite end of the spectrum are the eutrophic lakes. These lakes are extremely fertile and support more pounds of fish per acre than any other lake type. They are usually very shallow weedy lakes with rather dingy water. They can support excellent muskie fisheries and have trophy potential. Weeds are the key in these lakes, as there is very little else to which either the forage or the muskies can relate.

While eutrophic lakes can be fine muskie waters, it is the mesotrophic lakes that are considered the classic muskie waters. Mesotrophic lakes are moderately fertile lakes with a wide variety of structural elements. Usually a combination of deep rocky shoals, fast breaking drop-offs, rock points, and sunken islands as well as a good deal of weed growth offer muskies a lot of different structural opportunities. The water color is clear to moderately clear and these lakes may reach depths of more than 100 feet. Although they don't produce the number of pounds per acre that the more fertile eutrophic lakes do, their greater depths mean cooler waters that can support the higher protein forage species of ciscoes, herring, and whitefish. Even when a mesotrophic lake does not contain these superior forage fish, it has several other advantages that can result in excellent muskie fisheries. (Figure 12-1.)

Not all forage species are equal. Ciscoes, herring, and whitefish are all very oily high-protein forage species. They also school in very large numbers over open water making them very accessible. They do, however, require a good deal of deep cool water and that is just not available in eutrophic lakes. Muskies in waters where these high-protein forage species are available usually exhibit superior girth-to-length ratios and are therefore normally heavier fish.

Muskies in eutrophic lakes must use whatever forage they can while trying to maximize its efficient use. Walleyes, large and smallmouth bass, suckers, bullheads, and a myriad of pan fish are usually available in these warm waters. If they are available in good numbers, walleyes, with an average weight of one to three pounds, should be the preferred forage, especially for the larger muskies. Walleyes school laterally along the weedlines, foraging for their own prey, making it easy for muskies to set up a home territory and forage efficiently. (Figure 12-2.)

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