Hey guys whats going on with all the dead muskies??
I have seen WAY too many floating !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Detroit river dead muskies????
Moderator: Cyberlunge
Detroit river dead muskies????
let'em go to grow
Dale
Dale
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Muskie Medic
- Posts: 220
- Joined: Mon Apr 25, 2005 8:55 am
- Location: GREENVILLE MI
spawning
Probably spawning mortalities....there are always a a few that sucome to the rigors of spawning...You will see it on the smaller inland lakes also this time of year....
TF
TF
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Muskie Medic
- Posts: 220
- Joined: Mon Apr 25, 2005 8:55 am
- Location: GREENVILLE MI
spawning
I would say 10-12 fish would not be out of the norm in a day. Especially in a system like St-clair with that poplulation density....
And the 100 fish thing, well It was "Heard"....It seems we hear about this every year or too, I bet if you do a archive search you would find a few mirrored threads just as this one about the same subject..
TF
And the 100 fish thing, well It was "Heard"....It seems we hear about this every year or too, I bet if you do a archive search you would find a few mirrored threads just as this one about the same subject..
TF
Play nice guys... :)
Check out this thread ----> http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum ... p?t=135341
Especially the post from Fish Manager.
Check out this thread ----> http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum ... p?t=135341
Especially the post from Fish Manager.
“There are two spiritual dangers in not owning a farm. One is the danger of supposing that breakfast comes from the grocery, and the other that heat comes from the furnace.” -- ALDO LEOPOLD
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MuskieHunter78
- Posts: 5
- Joined: Wed Apr 19, 2006 10:05 pm
- Location: Taylor
Dead Muskie
My friend and I were on lunch at a high class apartment building on the detroit river and noticed a muskie looking fish floating but couldnt believe it. We waited 45 min for the current to bring it closer and sure enough it was about a 30 inch muskie. So I was wowed to read all this tinight. :(
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Will Schultz
- Posts: 7664
- Joined: Wed Apr 06, 2005 11:06 pm
- Location: GR, MI
1. It's very unlikely it's spawning related since the majority of these fish have been seen early in the season. St Clair muskies don't usually spawn until May because of the COLD water coming in from Lake Huron. Fish that died from spawning stress would be seen in late-May and June.
2. What's being seen is a normal winter kill. Remember when we had that warm up in January and February? During an extreme mid winter warm up, fish (particularly shad/drum/panfish) head to the warmest water and the muskies follow. On LSC this would be into the canals and other warm shallow water. You may remember that the February warm up stopped quickly and the water temps dropped ten degrees or more. Fish get caught back in these areas and get stressed from the temp change. If you combine this with limited oxygen due to ice cover, it takes it's toll on fish that are already stressed during the winter. Because the muskies and other fish are in shallow water they don't have the ability to escape the cold water by going deep. Remember back to January of 2004 we had the same type of winter warm up followed by extreme cold. In the spring of 2004 there were many dead muskies floating in LSC.
Why do they show up now? It takes a while for the big fish to float and it takes a while for wind/current to move the dead fish out of the canals and backwater areas once they start floating.
3. There is a new disease in LSC but it was found in ONE (1) fish in 2005. If this disease was responsible for the dead muskies the DNR/OMNR would have found more than one fish with the disease.
Bottom line... there's no need to panic but as always it's a good idea to report these findings to the local DNR/OMNR. Townes (basin supervisor) and Thomas (biologist @ Mt Clemens) are aware of this and are monitoring the situation but are not concerned at this point that this is anything more than winterkill.
2. What's being seen is a normal winter kill. Remember when we had that warm up in January and February? During an extreme mid winter warm up, fish (particularly shad/drum/panfish) head to the warmest water and the muskies follow. On LSC this would be into the canals and other warm shallow water. You may remember that the February warm up stopped quickly and the water temps dropped ten degrees or more. Fish get caught back in these areas and get stressed from the temp change. If you combine this with limited oxygen due to ice cover, it takes it's toll on fish that are already stressed during the winter. Because the muskies and other fish are in shallow water they don't have the ability to escape the cold water by going deep. Remember back to January of 2004 we had the same type of winter warm up followed by extreme cold. In the spring of 2004 there were many dead muskies floating in LSC.
Why do they show up now? It takes a while for the big fish to float and it takes a while for wind/current to move the dead fish out of the canals and backwater areas once they start floating.
3. There is a new disease in LSC but it was found in ONE (1) fish in 2005. If this disease was responsible for the dead muskies the DNR/OMNR would have found more than one fish with the disease.
Bottom line... there's no need to panic but as always it's a good idea to report these findings to the local DNR/OMNR. Townes (basin supervisor) and Thomas (biologist @ Mt Clemens) are aware of this and are monitoring the situation but are not concerned at this point that this is anything more than winterkill.
Last edited by Will Schultz on Thu Apr 20, 2006 9:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Self interest is for the past, common interest is for the future.
Whoa, hey, how's that for a WELCOME Dale??? Good to hear from you again anyway!
This year and 2004 had the same thing down there. Not last year, and nothing to the extent of 2006 and 2004 before that. Not cause for panic but definitely CONCERN and hope to be able pinpoint exactly what is the cause of death on those fish.
This year and 2004 had the same thing down there. Not last year, and nothing to the extent of 2006 and 2004 before that. Not cause for panic but definitely CONCERN and hope to be able pinpoint exactly what is the cause of death on those fish.
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Hamilton Reef
- Posts: 1156
- Joined: Thu Apr 28, 2005 9:43 am
- Location: Montague, MI on White River
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 25, 2006
Contacts:
Gary Towns 734-953-0241
Mary Dettloff 517-335-3014
Muskellunge Die-Off in Southeast Michigan Being Monitored
A significant number of muskellunge, the second largest game fish in Michigan, have been observed dead over the last month in Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair and Detroit rivers, according to Department of Natural Resources fisheries biologists. The die-off is being monitored by the DNR and volunteer groups in the area.
"Any time a significant number of fish die, we are concerned for the resource and monitor the situation closely to determine the factors behind it," said Gary Towns, DNR Lake Erie Management Unit supervisor. "We feel the current situation has likely been caused by a combination of factors which have impacted the muskies in the area."
Towns said the DNR has essentially ruled out pollution as a factor. He said species such as walleyes, emerald shiners and other minnows, which are more sensitive to pollution, do not seem to have been affected. Anglers are currently catching lots of walleye, bass and other species which appear to be very healthy, Towns added.
DNR fisheries officials feel the die-off of muskellunge could have been caused by several factors including a combination of spawning stress, a warmer winter which may have set the stage for a higher incidence of disease, and recent rapid warming of water over the past several weeks. It is unknown if the bacterial disease first detected in Lake St. Clair muskellunge in 2002, known as musky pox (Piscirickettsia sp.), is involved. Fish with visible signs of musky pox have red rashes and sunken eyes.
Towns said the muskies that are being found in Lake St. Clair and the Detroit River appear to have died about a month ago and were likely on the bottom of the lake and river system. As they have been decomposing, they have floated to the surface of the water, he said. Due to the decomposition, DNR pathologists cannot test the fish for musky pox or other diseases. Only live fish or fish that have been dead for less than a few hours can be tested for bacterial or viral diseases, Towns said.
The rapid warming of the water in the St. Clair River and Lake St. Clair area could be a major factor, Towns said. Normally in late April, the water temperatures are in the mid-40s. Towns said that presently the water temperatures are in the low to mid-50s, and some anglers have reported water temperatures in isolated bays in the 60 degree range. Rapid water temperature changes can put a lot of stress on fish, he said.
In terms of musky pox, Towns said while many muskies may be infected with it, the disease is usually only fatal to a few fish. Musky pox could cause the death of some fish when the fish are under stress, for example during the spring when water temperatures can warm rapidly.
The DNR has contacted Canadian fisheries officials to monitor their side of Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair River as well, and they have reported some dead muskellunge, too. While a musky die-off was observed in the spring of 2003, very few dead muskies were reported in 2004 and 2005.
"We want area anglers to know that we are aware of the problem and we appreciate their reports of dead muskies in the waters of the St. Clair River, the Detroit River and Lake St. Clair," Towns said. "We are actively monitoring the situation to determine the extent of the die-off, however; we feel at this time it is a combination of weather, spawning stress and perhaps some disease factors which have affected the fish."
The DNR is committed to conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state's natural resources for current and future generations.
April 25, 2006
Contacts:
Gary Towns 734-953-0241
Mary Dettloff 517-335-3014
Muskellunge Die-Off in Southeast Michigan Being Monitored
A significant number of muskellunge, the second largest game fish in Michigan, have been observed dead over the last month in Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair and Detroit rivers, according to Department of Natural Resources fisheries biologists. The die-off is being monitored by the DNR and volunteer groups in the area.
"Any time a significant number of fish die, we are concerned for the resource and monitor the situation closely to determine the factors behind it," said Gary Towns, DNR Lake Erie Management Unit supervisor. "We feel the current situation has likely been caused by a combination of factors which have impacted the muskies in the area."
Towns said the DNR has essentially ruled out pollution as a factor. He said species such as walleyes, emerald shiners and other minnows, which are more sensitive to pollution, do not seem to have been affected. Anglers are currently catching lots of walleye, bass and other species which appear to be very healthy, Towns added.
DNR fisheries officials feel the die-off of muskellunge could have been caused by several factors including a combination of spawning stress, a warmer winter which may have set the stage for a higher incidence of disease, and recent rapid warming of water over the past several weeks. It is unknown if the bacterial disease first detected in Lake St. Clair muskellunge in 2002, known as musky pox (Piscirickettsia sp.), is involved. Fish with visible signs of musky pox have red rashes and sunken eyes.
Towns said the muskies that are being found in Lake St. Clair and the Detroit River appear to have died about a month ago and were likely on the bottom of the lake and river system. As they have been decomposing, they have floated to the surface of the water, he said. Due to the decomposition, DNR pathologists cannot test the fish for musky pox or other diseases. Only live fish or fish that have been dead for less than a few hours can be tested for bacterial or viral diseases, Towns said.
The rapid warming of the water in the St. Clair River and Lake St. Clair area could be a major factor, Towns said. Normally in late April, the water temperatures are in the mid-40s. Towns said that presently the water temperatures are in the low to mid-50s, and some anglers have reported water temperatures in isolated bays in the 60 degree range. Rapid water temperature changes can put a lot of stress on fish, he said.
In terms of musky pox, Towns said while many muskies may be infected with it, the disease is usually only fatal to a few fish. Musky pox could cause the death of some fish when the fish are under stress, for example during the spring when water temperatures can warm rapidly.
The DNR has contacted Canadian fisheries officials to monitor their side of Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair River as well, and they have reported some dead muskellunge, too. While a musky die-off was observed in the spring of 2003, very few dead muskies were reported in 2004 and 2005.
"We want area anglers to know that we are aware of the problem and we appreciate their reports of dead muskies in the waters of the St. Clair River, the Detroit River and Lake St. Clair," Towns said. "We are actively monitoring the situation to determine the extent of the die-off, however; we feel at this time it is a combination of weather, spawning stress and perhaps some disease factors which have affected the fish."
The DNR is committed to conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state's natural resources for current and future generations.