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Muskies in Black Lake

Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2016 11:55 am
by Musky hunter
Would like to find a list of all species present in the lake. The fish I chase grow fast and fat eating something, but I need to do a better job of "matching the hatch".
I also would like to here from any other Esox-ists, (musky hunters).
I also note that New York Outdoor News recently featured Black Lake Lake Profile page but omitted musky from their list of fish species present. I got the same information from DEC Region 6 fisheries guy years ago. They don't exist in DEC's opinion.

Re: Muskies in Black Lake

Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2016 2:23 pm
by Phil
The only list I'm aware of is the DEC's

They don't mention Stugeon either, but they are there. There are others as well and I'm sure some of the guys on here can add to the list.

Re: Muskies in Black Lake

Posted: Thu Nov 10, 2016 10:43 am
by MrSimon
There have been a bunch of documented big muskies come out of Black Lake, that's for sure.

You don't hear about them much anymore though. It's my opinion that the introduction of crappie has all but killed the musky population in Black Lake. Crappie are very aggressive shallow water feeders in the Spring and can wipe out an entire spawn of musky (and pike) with ease.

Personally, I'm torn over this. Having a lake this good for crappie and bass is awesome, but I do miss the pike and musky fishing from years ago. Fortunately though, the St. Lawrence River is literally 9 minutes from my cottage and has some of the best musky and pike fishing anywhere in the entire world.

For us, Black Lake is all about relaxing and enjoying the incredible scenery while catching boat loads of crappie, bass, catfish, perch, bluegill, and even a fair amount of medium sized pike. If we want to get serious for big fish (walleye, pike, musky) we head to the River. It truly is the best of both worlds.

Re: Muskies in Black Lake

Posted: Thu Nov 10, 2016 12:12 pm
by Phil
Don't forget the "lowly" Bowfin. 8) They can be an awesome fight.

Re: Muskies in Black Lake

Posted: Tue Nov 15, 2016 11:15 am
by Musky hunter
Thanks for the responses. We have fished muskies steadily since the 1980s and it seems that there is indeed a relationship between them and the crappies. In the years when crappie populations are up, we do much better on the muskies. When crappies are down we have to search high and low to find muskies. I'm sure they are eating something, but I haven't figured out what.
On a side note, back in the late '50s and '60s the weeds were a much bigger problem than I see now. With the increase in open water our fishing has improved a lot.
Also, the DEC woke up and upped the minimum size limit so the girls have a chance to breed. The popularity of catch and release gave us all a better chance of a musky encounter.