Effects of Length Limits on Muskellunge in Bone Lake, Wisconsin

Abstract

Minimum length limits are a commonly used management tool for protecting fisheries from exploitation and for improving population size structure. However, little is known about the effects of minimum length limits on populations of muskellunge Esox masquinongy. We monitored changes in the muskellunge population in Bone Lake, a 1,781-acre lake in northwest Wisconsin over a 31-year period (1964–1995) during which time length limits were changed from 30 in to 34 in and from 34 in to 40 in. These changes were compared with population changes in nearby Deer Lake (807 acres), where the length limit remained at the statewide minimum of 32 in. Mean length of adult muskellunge in Bone Lake increased from 31.3 in in 1964 to 36.0 in in 1995. Adult (≥30-in) muskellunge abundance in Bone Lake increased more than five-fold during the study and reached a density of 0.99 fish/acre. Abundance of larger (≥38-in) muskellunge increased 269% following minimum length limit increases between 1982 and 1995. Relative weight (Wr) of Bone Lake muskellunge decreased during the study, suggesting intraspecific competition for food resources. The muskellunge population in Deer Lake also had positive increases in size structure, but the increases were not as great as those in Bone Lake, and population abundance did not change. Results from this study suggest that high minimum length limits can increase abundance and mean length of a muskellunge population, but biologists need to consider long-term effects on the fish community if high densities are achieved.