Status of a Muskellunge Population Established as a Brood Stock Lake 30 Years Ago: Preliminary Results

Preliminary results will be presented from a long-term mark-recapture study of the muskellunge population in a brood stock lake located in north central Minnesota.   Elk Lake is a 271 ac lake first established as a brood stock lake in 1982.  Muskellunge management practices include annual fingerling stocking and a catch-release angling regulation.  From 2003-2011 we PIT tagged all adult muskellunge captured during spring trap netting and electrofishing assessments.  Several mark-recapture methods were used to compare muskellunge population estimates and estimate selected demographics.  Annual population estimates ranged from 46 to 137 adults (with relatively wide confidence limits) using a modified Peterson population estimating model.  Mark – recapture estimates based on program MARK models ranged from 57 – 114 adults annually.  Annual survival was consistent, averaging 85% (male) and 82% (female).  However, capture probabilities were higher for males (59%) than for females (49%).  The overall trend during this 9 year period indicated a declining population, but high adult survival with limited recruitment of new individuals into the population.