If it's the DNR conducting the survey it seems like they would count the chin pores and easily identify it either way. With that being said isn't it extremely unlikely that it's a tiger and most likely just a pike with wierd coloration?

Does look a lot like the chain pickeral I posted a few years back I caught on pigeon

But I do know someone who lives on the lake and was saying there are 55+ inchers out there.. I just lol'ed

How did the DNR determine its a Tiger? Coloring on a fish that young is probably not the best way determine its genetics. There were some crazy looking GLS fingerling at the hatchery that you could say looked like Tigers or some kind of salt water species…Is there something they used other than the coloring to determine that this is a Tiger or are they purely guessing by its color pattern?

2nd off topic question, can muskie or pike cross breed with pickerel?

yes virtually all esox can hybridize, don't know about that guy but he definitely isn't a typical looking chain either?… the vertical-ish markings seem odd for them