Muskie Lakes
Stocking History
Muskie were first introduced into Missouri in 1966 in Pomme de Terre Lake, where they regularly have been stocked since. Muskie were first stocked in Hazel Creek Lake in 1983, Fellows Lake in 1996, and Lake 35 on the Busch Conservation Area in 2001. With limited success, several other small lakes around the state occasionally have been stocked with muskie between 1973 and 2001. Four lakes are currently stocked and managed for muskies: Pomme de Terre (7,820 acres), Hazel Creek (530 acres), Fellows (820 acres) and Lake 35/Busch Conservation Area (62 acres).
Where We Got the Brood Stock
Prior to 1991, muskie stocked in Missouri were obtained from northern states. Beginning in 1991 and through 2003, muskie brood stock were collected from Missouri lakes managed for muskie and successfully spawned and reared at Lost Valley Hatchery in Warsaw, Missouri. Since 2004, muskie fry have been obtained from Spirit Lake Fish Hatchery in Iowa. The fry are then stocked into rearing ponds at Lost Valley Hatchery and are fed minnows until they reach a stocking size of 12 to 14 inches long, usually in October. Muskie are then stocked at a rate of one per acre, with the exception of Pomme de Terre Lake, where the rate is one half fish per acre.
