You can catch and release muskies year-round, but possession season starts on Saturday, June 3.
The DNR is also asking fishers to participate in their muskellunge angler survey to help them track this important sport fish.
“Muskellunge are difficult to survey, so biologists are dependent upon information provided by anglers to help us manage this species, says DNR fisheries biologist Neal Godby in Gaylord. “Angler survey reports give us insight into the relative abundance of muskellunge in a waterbody, size structure of the population, and whether the muskellunge in that waterbody are creating a fishery.”
The DNR’s online muskellunge angler survey helps them gather information like who fishes for muskies, length of fish caught, angler effort, water body fished and methods used. Since 2014, fisheries managers have used this data to improve their muskellunge stocking programs and recommend fishing regulation changes to the Michigan Natural Resources Commission.
Anglers are limited to one muskellunge per license year, and are required to register their harvest 888-636-7778, online at Michigan.gov/RegisterFish, or on the new Michigan DNR Hunt Fish mobile app.
You can find the muskellunge angler survey here.