Muskie

I know there are Muskie in the St. Louis River in good numbers. Is there a decent population in the main lake? Does anybody do any open basin trolling for them?

Thats one HE77 of an “open basin”.

I have heard of guys trolling the lake shores late season (warmer surface temps) for them but that all I know. I want to say from Duluth east where the contours are not quite as extreme.

I have trolled the south shore for years pulling cranks. Never muskie sized stuff but stuff like #11 tail dancers and reef runners. Always get a mixed bag like walleye, lakers, and salmon, but never a muskie. They may be out there, but I’m guessing in very small numbers.

I’ve never seen a muskie in the Two Harbors area. Too deep and too cold I think. I have seen northerns that have been washed into the lake from high running streams after heavy rains.

The only place I have heard of muskies being caught is well back in the St.Louis River flowage. I don’t ever recall of hearing about any being taken off the Wisconsin coast but as mentioned the shore there is less radical and the water warmer so its possible. I don’t think I’d spend any amount of time trying to target muskie on the main lake but the river and back end of the harbor might give up one or two.

I think I have seen them casting along Superior Bay which is closest to the Big Lake. I am betting that once you get outside of that, they are pretty rare beasts…

Mark