Skip to agency navigation
Skip to main content

Official Website

of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

    The .gov means its official.

    Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania government websites and email systems use "pennsylvania.gov" or "pa.gov" at the end of the address. Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure you're on an official state website. 

    All About Musky

    Species overview, identification, habitat and life history from the Pennsylvania Fishes Reference Book

    Chart explaining the differing physical features between a Pike, Musky and Walleye

    Muskellunge Fishing Tips

    Where

    Habitat -- Deeper waters located near underwater structure, such as weed beds, sunken objects, and drop-offs are popular areas for Muskellunge.

    How

    Rod –At least 7 feet long with fast action and a heavy power rating.
    Reel -- High gear ratio and a strong drag system.
    Bait – shiners, suckers and bluegills (4-10” long)
    Lures -- Bucktails, jerkbaits, crankbaits, and topwater lures
    Trolling -- crankbaits (3-12” long)
    Casting -- bucktails, jerk baits and rubber swim baits (6-12” long)
    Lure Color – Match forage fish species present. Fire tiger (perch), shad, and bluegill patterns are popular.
    Line – 50-80 lb. test, abrasion-resistant (i.e. braided line is a popular due to being strong and sensitive with low stretch)
    Leader – 12” long, 80 lb. test or steel wire
    Hook Size – Hook size will depend on the size of lure or bait but typically treble hooks of at least 3/0 are used.
    Lure Size – 3-12” long lures depending on season and forage
    Net – 6’ long with 30” wide hoop and deep net bag

    When

    Spring – Daytime, first and last few hours of light
    Summer – Daytime, Nighttime, first and last few hours of light
    Fall -- Daytime, first and last few hours of light

    Interactive Maps

    Find fishing waters by using one or more of our interactive maps: