Another quesion concerning regular strain Muskies and Tiger/Hybrid Muskies. Which lakes in the Mpls/St.Paul area hold regular strain Muskies..and which lakes only hold Tigers? I keep running into people "Claiming" to have caught regular strain Muskies out of Calhoun. Anyone?

I'm not entirely certain of this, but I think Harriet has the only "pure" muskies within the boundaries of Minneapolis. All the others are stocked with tigers.

I have personally seen a "clear/pure" muskie caught at Nokomis (last summer), however that doesn't mean that it was *supposed* to be there. Although, calhoun/harriet/nokomis/hiawatha are all technically...linked

Actually, I think I've seen some in Nokomis, too. But it was a long time ago, it was a little too far away to be certain, and I may or may not have had a few beers. But I know it didn't have any visible markings.

Well I would love to sit here and wonder where fish were stocked but instead I decided to look it up. :)

The "lake finder" on the MN DNR site also has stocking reports. These are all the lakes stocked with "Muskys" in Hennepin County in 2006.

Bush - 27004700
Tiger Muskellunge - 165 fingerlings weighing 61.8 lbs.*
Crystal - 27003400
Tiger Muskellunge - 193 fingerlings weighing 55.4 lbs.*
Eagle/Pike - 27011100
Muskellunge - 400 fingerlings weighing 99.5 lbs.*
Harriet - 27001600
Muskellunge - 175 fingerlings weighing 43.5 lbs.*
Independence - 27017600
Muskellunge - 1,000 fingerlings weighing 234.2 lbs.*
Minnetonka - 27013300
Muskellunge - 383 yearlings weighing 138.9 lbs.*
Muskellunge - 744 adults weighing 1,804.1 lbs.
Nokomis - 27001900
Tiger Muskellunge - 300 fingerlings weighing 89.8 lbs.*
Weaver - 27011700
Tiger Muskellunge - 230 fingerlings weighing 86.1 lbs.*

Hope this helps.

Thanks for all the feedback guys. Yeah it's hard to say with so many different people saying this and that but "YET" they have no evidence to back up their claim. And I think maybe..maybe some of these dudes have had one too many beers. Are all the Mpls lakes really connected through the Minnehaha channel? I mean do you guys really think that some regular strain muskies might have drifted from Lake Minnetonka all the way to some of the inner city Mpls lakes? Just a thought.

I think it's technically possible. However, knowing the depth (or lack thereof) of the Minnehaha creek in several locations, the window of opportunity each year is pretty slim. Of course, one good rain/flooding is all it takes to give them a shot of moving downstream.

For one, I shocked a 42 inch muskie in Minnehaha creek in about a foot and a half of water, below the falls. There were about two hundred quillbacks there. He was probably feeding. They like to travel through creeks.

Harriet has pure-strains in it. No Tigers are stocked. Rich caught a big tiger muskie out of Harriet; it had to come from another lake stocked with Tigers, probably Calhoun.

Owasso, White Bear, and Bald Eagle lake are also stocked with pure-strain muskies. And there are a whole lot of them in the River. Excess muskies from the Warner Road hatchery end up in the Mississippi. I've seen them captured everywhere from the Coon Rapids Dam all the way down. And they're upstream, too.

French Lake, near Faribault, is also stocked with Muskellunge.

Also, I get to re-do the Lake Finder reports. Any thoughts from you guys on what you'd like to see on the reports?

Harriet has been stocked with pure strain muskies since the late 70's. It has been managed as a pure strain muskie lake ever since. Calhoun is managed as a tiger muskie lake but has also been stocked with pure strain muskies a few times over the years. Isles & Cedar are connected to Calhoun & have been stocked with tigers since the early 80's. The fish can move freely between these 3 lakes. Nokomis is a tiger muskie lake although pure strains are caught from time to time as mentioned before. All of these lakes are connected to the creek in some way so I suppose it's possible that small fish can migrate between them during high water. There are definately fish moving down the creek from Minnetonka every summer.

- Vern

Hmm...the plot thickens..haha. I'm gonna have to try those shallow creeks..never know..one of these days, I might just be casting..and.."Kaaaaabammm!!!" I'll keep you posted. To be honest with the Lake finder reports...some of it's confusing but I'll check it out and see if I have any suggestions Corey.

I know several people who have caught pure strain muskies out of Calhoun. There is a decent size underwater culvert that connects the two lakes, Harriet and Calhoun. I'm sure fish can pass from lake to lake pretty easy....I've seen muskies with their bodies half inside this culvert before....I think they corner panfish in there, or just like the current coming into the lake.

But the majority of fish you will catch out of Calhoun will be tigers for sure. And the majority you will catch out of Harriet will be pure strain. Its just a sifting game sometimes....

Thanks for the info Doc. I know there's this huge tunnel looking thing East of the South Thomas beach....is that where they pass through? You're right about the Tigers at Calhoun. I'm still trying to land a regular strain there, but have had no success.

Corey wrote:

QUOTE:
Also, I get to re-do the Lake Finder reports. Any thoughts from you guys on what you'd like to see on the reports?

I think I've mentioned it before to you but...
On the main page, where you would select the county and/or lake, a drop down with the species would be nice.

i.e.

County / Species
Dakota / Bowfin

Nice one. That would be a great feature...

Saw two pure strains washed up dead on the Nokomis shore last summer. Does extreme heat put strain on older fish? One had to be 40+ inches long.

This is the one in I caught in Harriet Corey mentioned, circa May of 2006. Beautiful colors, eh?

Nice Tiger Rich...man that Tiger almost looks like a regular strain. I need to get out!

Truth be told, I was convinced when I caught it that it must be a rare Northern from Harriet. But the webmaster looked at the original file closely, and determined that indeed the markings were that of a tiger. Fine by me, as it was my first.

What the Master states I'll comply with. Anyone know if the regular strain in Harriet is just the spotted or are there other phases of the clear strain as well? I know for sure the 46" I caught earlier this year was a spotted. Don't know how to post but I'll post in my lifelist soon.