Muskies Showing Up in Indiana’s Maumee River

   04.24.13

Muskies Showing Up in Indiana’s Maumee River

DNR officials are getting reports from anglers that muskies are occasionally being caught in the Maumee River below the Hosey Dam in Fort Wayne.

The largest to date was caught in early April, measured 42.5 inches long and weighed 28 pounds.

Biologists are unsure where the muskies are coming from—none are stocked directly into the river.

Muskies have been stocked in Allen County’s Lake Everett each year since 2010, but its outlet drains to the Eel River, not the Maumee. Likewise, a check with Ohio DNR biologists confirmed that no muskies are stocked in the Maumee watershed within the Buckeye state.

Right now, the best guess is they came downstream via the St. Joe River from Ball Lake in Steuben County. Muskies were stocked there annually until 2009.

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The Indiana Department of Natural Resources is the agency of the U.S. state of Indiana charged with maintaining natural areas such as state parks, state forests, recreation areas, etc. There are many divisions within the DNR and each has a specific role. The DNR is not only responsible for maintaining resource areas but also manages Indiana's fish and wildlife, reclaims coal mine ground, manages forested areas, aids in the management of wildlife on private lands, enforces Indiana's conservation laws, and many other duties not named here. According to the department's website, their mission is "to protect, enhance, preserve, and wisely use natural, cultural, and recreational resources for the benefit of Indiana's citizens through professional leadership, management, and education."

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