Fishing

Big Muskego Lake & Bass Bay

The fertile waters of Big Muskego Lake support an excellent fishery with healthy populations of panfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, and walleye. Fishing is the activity cited by most people as the primary reason they use Big Muskego Lake and Bass Bay. Fishing Reports...

Shoreline Fishing
- Dam on Big Muskego Lake, access from Big Muskego Lake State Wildlife Area.
- DNR land on Parker Drive leads to a channel on Big Muskego.

Offshore Fishing - Boat Launches, Maps and Lake Information

Winter fish Kills
The combination of shallow waters and high levels of organic matter makes Big Muskego Lake susceptible to winter fish kills due to oxygen depletion.

The oxygen between the ice and lake bottom can be readily consumed through the respiration of organisms and the decomposition of organic matter. Further more, little oxygen is being produced when there is deep snow cover, reducing light penetration and therefore photosynthesis.

Many complaints have been submitted by local anglers regarding the overharvest of northern pike. Anglers have also expressed concerns regarding the decrease in size structure of northern pike.

Special regulations have been developed to promote bio-manipulation and maximize predation on smaller planktivorous panfish and benthivorous rough fish. These daily bag limits work to adequately protect large northern pike.

A comprehensive survey completed in 2008 indicated the northern pike size structure was inadequate in providing predation on benthivorous rough fish and small planktivours fish. Due to the accelerated growth rates of common carp, large northern pike are the only native predator species able to effectively feed on young carp. By increasing the abundance of large northern pike, we will expect to slow the recruitment of common carp and small planktivores providing better water quality, diverse and abundant native aquatic macrophytes and better fishing!