Muskies in the Rum River?

I’ve been fishing the Rum River for 20 years mostly targeting smallmouth bass. I’ve never caught or seen a muskie in it. There are signs posted by the canoe accesses that do indicate “Muskellunge in these waters.” I have heard of two caught during this span. One was 54 inches and super skinny caught about 7 years ago near the old dam by Milaca. The other was further south near the confluence of the Mississippi River in Anoka, not as big (about 40 inches) but looked pretty healthy. I realize that it flows out of Mille Lacs so its definitely possible for one to end up there, but how likely would you say it is? Just asking because someone is claiming they see them in there regularly and I don’t believe it.

I am willing to bet there is a pretty small population in it. I doubt its worth spending a bunch of time on but you never know.

While they are there, I do not believe that the numbers are substantial.
I have seen one in all the years that I spent on that river. It was in the Princeton area. I spend more time closer to Anoka to St Francis.

They are there in limited numbers. I’ve never seen an adult fish caught, but I know a guy who lives on the river who has caught a couple.
About twenty years ago we found a small stream flowing into the river. It was early spring and we found multiple large muskie way up in the creek spawning.
We told the story to our science teacher and he laughed it off as a tall tale. Well we went back a couple weeks later with a net and caught a fingerling musky to prove what we found. He was in disbelief when we brought him a frozen 6″ musky. I realize it wasn’t legal but we were 10 years old and didn’t have a care in the world.
As far as targeting them specifically I think you’ll fish a long time before catching one but between musky and large pike it may be a fun adventure.

I’ve seen this question come up on other forums and people have said there is always the chance one could wash in because its a river – but pretty unlikely there is any real population present in the Rum. Those that have said there are muskies refer to the very northern stretch as it comes out of Mille Lacs. Anoka highly unlikely… but every time it floods or we get the big rainfall, it could potentially happen. I know a lot of people that fish the river regularly with lures that muskies would also hit and if it happened, I think word would get out pretty quickly.

I know this will be hard for anyone to believe but I used to tube from Isanti to st Francis area and one year me my buddy and brother were riding down and there was a bunch of them traveling north in the river it seemed like our whole trip they were everywhere. We were younger at the time and it made us scared to put our feet in the water all you could see Is red tips and their bars on the sides in the dark murky water when they passed just huge fish no denying what they all were. I have had strange things happen on the rum caught a few huge walleye as well it’s not a great fishing spot but sometimes it does pay off. But the muskie thing only once have I ever seen anything like it. We even tapped some with our paddle just to see if what we were seeing was actually there and it definitely was!

There are only muskies in places where guys with sparkled boats and x10s of thousands of dollars in unused baits fish.

…in all seriousness, I’m no muskie angler. I also in all my years around here have never once had someone reference or mention the waters where I’ve caught around a dozen or so muskies on accident when not targeting them.

ryan gaedke wrote:

I know this will be hard for anyone to believe but I used to tube from Isanti to st Francis area and one year me my buddy and brother were riding down and there was a bunch of them traveling north in the river it seemed like our whole trip they were everywhere. We were younger at the time and it made us scared to put our feet in the water all you could see Is red tips and their bars on the sides in the dark murky water when they passed just huge fish no denying what they all were. I have had strange things happen on the rum caught a few huge walleye as well it’s not a great fishing spot but sometimes it does pay off. But the muskie thing only once have I ever seen anything like it. We even tapped some with our paddle just to see if what we were seeing was actually there and it definitely was!

Fun story Ryan, thanks for sharing

Feathers wrote:

Leechers originated from the Mississippi. Muskies are a river species. They were in Mille lacs before they even started stocking it from fish coming up the rum from the Mississippi before there was a dam.

Being a river critter <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>muskies also like to follow current down stream and will wash through dams especially in high water.

So yes there are fish in there. How many, I have no clue. I do not fish it. Toss some <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>Muskie baits and see what you find.

That’s interesting if true about them being originally a river fish. I got a 39.5” from shore on pool 2 of the Mississippi a few falls back, on an eighth ounce jig and 3” twister. Also got a hammer handle ‘ski in the same spot a couple summers prior. That 39.5” had the dimensions of a Mille lacs fish- just BEEFY. Everything in that river is usually eating well…

LabDaddy1 wrote:

That’s interesting if true about them being originally a river fish. I got a 39.5” from shore on pool 2 of the Mississippi a few falls back, on an eighth ounce jig and 3” twister. Also got a hammer handle ‘ski in the same spot a couple summers prior. That 39.5” had the dimensions of a Mille lacs fish- just BEEFY. Everything in that river is usually eating well…

Essentially any lake that has a connection to the Mississippi River or a tributary has muskies not all in fishable numbers.
The Leech Lake “strain” has evolved to spawn at deeper depths than the traditional Mississippi strain and that is desirable because of predation from YOY pike, etc since Muskies spawn later.
Lots of cool studies done by the MN DNR over the years and that is why they raise and stock that strain.

I had a buddy caught one tiny little thing may 20″, in October when we fished it before. I lived in Cambridge Section of the river. Good small mouth and large mouth. Muskies ehhh.

That’s cool, thanks for the info captain. I’ve fished muskies a long time and knew how to identify the strains but didn’t know those tidbits about the leech strain