Examination of Muskellunge overwinter survival and growth in an earthen extensive culture pond

Objective Track cohort survival, individual growth, and PIT tag retention, as well as relative growth rate, from fall to the following spring for age-0 Muskellunge Esox masquinongy held in an extensive culture pond. Methods A total of 806 age-0 Muskellunge were provided a 12-mm PIT tag in October 2021 and placed into a 0.1-ha pond. Individual total length (mm) was recorded for each fish. When the pond was drained in March 2022, an assessment of survival and PIT tag retention was calculated for the cohort, as well as assessment of mean individual growth and relative growth rate. Result Muskellunge experienced high survival (91.9%) but low individual mean growth (21.7 ± 0.2 mm [mean ± SE]). The mean length of surviving Muskellunge (267.8 ± 0.9 mm) was significantly greater than nonsurviving Muskellunge (251.4 ± 3.1 mm). However, smaller surviving Muskellunge did exhibit slightly improved growth compared to individuals that were initially longer. Conclusion The results provide an expectation for overwinter survival and growth in an extensive culture pond. This can assist managers in developing expectations on the numbers and length of Muskellunge that will be available to stock the following spring, which has largely been unreported previously.