Looking for current info on Sauk River Chain musky

Buying a place on Horseshoe (Richmond) and I see where DNR started a musky program about 10 years ago. Was it successful and is it a viable fishery? Thanks

They are in there I have not targeted them there yet but have caught to mid 30 inchers fishing for walleye

I’m a few blocks away from the chain on the CS side, and have never seen/heard anyone target them. Same as previous poster the guys that have caught them were accidental while targeting pike or walleye. As I recall the fish they stocked were no longer than 30 inches but could be wrong on that

Quick google search found a few articles published 5-10 years ago. They stocked more than I thought, larger sizes as well.

http://www.sctimes.com/story/life/outdoors/2014/10/25/dnr-checks-growth-chain-lakes-muskies/17857547/

Steve Williams wrote:

Buying a place on Horseshoe (Richmond) and I see where DNR started a musky program about 10 years ago. Was it successful and is it a viable fishery? Thanks

If you like to musky fish, you may have stumbled on a gem.

It sounds like they are there and those that have reported incidental catches sounds like they’re not being targeted much yet. The stocking information Brian B posted looks like you could be seeing upper 30″ to low 40″ fish now. Not monsters yet, but certainly fun and if numbers are good a lot of action.

Some 30 plus years ago the DNR began stocking muskies in Mille Lacs and nobody paid any attention for quite some time until folks started catching them while targeting other species. Small to medium size fish but anglers started paying attention.

What followed turned into perhaps one of the greatest muskie fisheries in the country. Reports of multiple fish outings with catches of larger and larger fish.

Sadly, those days are over now and not likely ever seen again. Certainly there are still some left and there are absolute monsters being caught every year but each year they are farther and fewer between. The #’s are way down from what they used to be and it seems now many hours being spent without even contacting a fish.

Anyway, you may be very fortunate to have an opportunity on the Sauk Chain for some great musky fishing especially if you spend time and target them.

I have fished the chain a fair amount the last 3-4 years. There are some musky’s in there, but I’ve never seen one over 30 or so inches. Its a rather large spread out fishery and the fish also tend to be rather spread out. Could you target them out there – Yes. Are there better waters not to far away to target them – Probably. Like others have said, It may turn into a great fishery someday. Hopefully they love to eat catfish and not the other way around. Every since the catfish have exploded out there all the other species of fish have fallen off. Those things are aggressive eating machines

I’ve personally seen 3 caught in there since initial stocking, the last being an upper 30’s fish 2 weeks ago… There’s so much bait in the chain (Carp, Suckers) that they will get big quickly…

Walleyestudent Andy Cox wrote:

Sadly, those days are over now and not likely ever seen again. Certainly there are still some left and there are absolute monsters being caught every year but each year they are farther and fewer between. The #’s are way down from what they used to be and it seems now many hours being spent without even contacting a fish.

This is me the past 6 years. About 2-3 trips per season and I can’t even remember the last time I even had a follow. They’ve never been abundant in that lake but the size/dimensions is obviously world class. Its like hunting for big foot, and I haven’t found him yet even though others have.

I saw a pair of them spawning together last spring in shallow water while I was bass fishing. They slowly swam by in about 6 feet of water in perfect sychronization. I saw the male first and thought that was big. Then I saw the female…enormous.

Thanks for the responses. Going to give it a try. Now for the really hard question….any internet providers on the lake?

Steve Williams wrote:

Thanks for the responses. Going to give it a try. Now for the really hard question….any internet providers on the lake?

Got a buddy that lives on East lake, and he has Arvig. Otherwise call Midco in Cold Spring