With the hot days and warm nights we've been having it's important to remember that on many of the inland lakes in Southern Michigan we'll be seeing water temps at 80 and above. This can be lethal for a muskie and if you are going to fish during this time here are some tips that will minimize mortality.

– Fish only when the water is cool. This might mean that you only fish for a few hours in the morning or at night.

– When water temps are high, limit handling and time in the net. Only the top couple feet of water are going to be too hot for a muskie to survive. This means that you'll want to get the fish unhooked and released quickly so that it can get back down to cooler water.

– Fish larger deeper lakes or rivers during this time. Many larger bodies of water will never get above the low 70's, therefore they are always safe for the catch and release of muskies.

Good luck.