"robhj" said:
I have a few questions regarding growth rates. Is the average growth rate for most of the stocked fish around 4-6 inches per year? I remember seeing a post regarding a 31 inch fish caught out of Hamlin which would seem to make that fish (7"/yr) above the average growth rate. Also, do you tend to see higher growth rates with Iowa strain fish or is it more dependent on habitat/forage? Lastly, has there been any additional discussion around the GLS program for Muskegon/White Lakes similar to what the WDNR did in the Green Bay area with GLS muskies taken from Indian River? Thanks for the feedback.

Growth is fast for the first few years. Many will make 28-30" by their third year. That length seems mark a significant slowing in growth for males, when they grow only a couple inches per year until they become sexually mature. From there they seem to grow about an 1/2 to 1" per year for the remainder of their life. It isn't uncommon to see a 39" 10-12 year old male. For females they continue a fast growth rate until they become sexually mature which usually corresponds to 6-7 years and around 42". Much like a mature male a mature female slows her growth substantially with a one inch per year growth fairly common. 13-15 years is when a female can reach 50" in our southern waters with 15-18 in northern waters.

Of course, some fish grow faster and some slower but the above is basically middle of the road.

The Iowa fish grow really fast at the hatchery which can make a big difference getting them to maturity. In general low density fish tend to grow faster because there is virtually no competition for forage.