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PIEDMONT -- The Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife released 2,370 muskellunge, or "muskies," Monday in Piedmont Lake as part of its annual stocking program.
The Ohio Huskie Muskie Club and Muskies Inc. participated in the release.
According to a press release from the ODNR Division of Wildlife, "the goal of the muskellunge program is to create and maintain trophy fishing opportunities."
Everyone who wished to participate in the event released a few muskies using a bucket, but the majority of the fish were released through a tube connected to the truck owned by the London Fish Hatchery specifically designed for fish stocking.
"The muskie release is the culmination of six months of work by Division of Wildlife hatchery staff to raise these fish. Eventually, they will grow to large sizes and create trophy fishing opportunities at Piedmont Lake and the other reservoirs where we stock them," Division of Wildlife Chief Kendra Wecker said.
Matt Hangsleben, fish management supervisor of District 4 at ODNR, said that the muskies attract a lot of anglers every year. He said muskies can grow up to 50 inches long.
"They get very big. They're hard fighting fish that like to jump," he said.
Hangsleben said a lot of clubs and fishing organizations such as the Ohio Huskie Muskie Club and Muskies Inc. focus on this fish because of its size and temperament. According to the ODNR Division of Wildlife, the largest muskie reported caught from 2018-22 in Piedmont Lake was 52.3 inches long.
Hangsleben explained that Piedmont Lake is approximately 2,370 acres, so the ODNR released one fish per acre.
He said the fish were raised at London Hatchery in London, Ohio, until they reached 10-12 inches in length. Hangsleben explained that most fishermen will not be interested in catching them for another three to five years when the fish are fully grown.
Chris French, fish hatchery program administrator with the Division of Wildlife, said that the Division of Wildlife has been stocking muskies in lakes, creeks and other bodies of water across Ohio for decades.
"Prior to 1930, muskies were pretty abundant in Ohio. However, due to pollution, habitat change and other factors, we saw a lot of declining numbers. In 1953, the Division of Wildlife started stocking muskies throughout Ohio to help revitalize those fisheries," he said.
French said that the Division of Wildlife raises the muskies for about six months in hatcheries before they are released every September.
"Starting in April, we will go to Leesville Lake, collect fish, get eggs from them, fertilize those eggs on site and then we'll bring them back to our London and Kincaid hatcheries to hatch them and raise them not only in using our indoor tanks but our outdoor production ponds as well," he said.
French said that many muskie clubs and organizations support ODNR's annual stock with funding and providing data about the number of muskies in the lake.
"That really helps us get a good idea and a good picture of the success that our program is having," French said.
"We got guys that catch 100 fish a year now thanks to you folks. We appreciate everything you've done," Chris DePaola, a member of the Cleveland chapter of Muskies Inc., said to French and other staff from ODNR.
French also thanked Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District for allowing ODNR to manage the fisheries and stock the lakes.
According to a press release from the ODNR Division of Wildlife, "The Division of Wildlife stocks 20,000 muskellunge across nine Ohio reservoirs: Alum Creek Lake, C. J. Brown Reservoir, Caesar Creek Lake, Clearfork Reservoir, Lake Milton, Leesville Lake, Piedmont Lake, Salt Fork Lake and West Branch Reservoir. Beginning in April, hatchery and fish management staff begin the rearing process. The muskies grow to lengths of 10 to 12 inches long at London and Kincaid state fish hatcheries before being stocked in September."
For more information, visit ohiodnr.gov.