TFF Musky Populations?

[AndrewR]

I know that most Musky guys like to keep their mouths shut, but I could use some guidance.

I've got 4 or 5 days free to spend fishing next week. I plan on lake hopping a few of the lakes in the area and float the Flambeau River, but would also like to fish the TFF for a few hours to show around to my friend who is new to the area. He wants to see this flowage and the spots where I catch Smallies from for a future reference.

However, we will be fishing Muskies.

Does anybody here have current numbers on the Muskies that are in here? Looking for an estimated population, as well as a density per acre number. Stocking numbers if available too. I know it's low from what I've been told.

There's a lot of water to eliminate from here, but ideas on where to fish would be splendid. I like to fish the far north end if it helps, and have encountered a few smaller fish in the 30 inch range hitting bass size lures up around the Four Mile Creek area.

If you got anything, thanks. If not, I understand and keep my share of secrets as well.

[Flambeau dreamer]

Try Pink Rock,and the big reed beds north of there, and there are deep weeds at the very north end of the flowage (follow the north shoreline, and you will find them).
Those are a couple of areas I hit when I venture that way. There are more around, but those should get you started.
I too will be muskie fishing on the flowage starting saturday.
Good luck
Chris

[ToddM]

I do not think the TFF is stocked anymore with muskies. There was a 5 year morritorium on musky stocking in iron county to evaluate natural reproduction, that was 7 or 8 years ago and I was told it was adequate enough to curtail stocking efforts. I also thought the TFF had about 1 adult fish per 4 or 5 acres which sounds about right.

[Mark Benson]

Andrew:

Your encountering areas would be good spots to keep in the back of your mind as you fish to there or away from there while fishing. You didn't mention in a lot of detail, but considering your quarry this spring, look for any weed growth that may have some up since or wood, no fish, then consider the channel edges not far from those locations. As you are motoring along to your locations to start and you flat calm water consider a little visual scouting for things that you might want to fish, such as cabbage tips...

Good luck, I heard an absolute monster came out of there recently!!!

Mark

[AndrewR]

Thanks for the fast replies. I've got a few pretty good areas in mind already and I'm excited to try something new.

Will be fishing Tuesday night thru next Sunday. We'll see what a half-day outing is like on the TFF. If not so good, I've got other lakes in the area to work with (Island / Moose / Cedar / Long / Spider / etc).... Tons of options here.

Other than some Smallies in the Lac Du Flambeau area, looks like next week will be pretty much all Ski's for my friend and I. :)

[Tom502]

Andrew,

Click on the link below to go the the TFF page of the WI-DNR web site.

Then scroll down to the bottom and download a PDF called "The Fishery in the Turtle-Flambeau Flowage." This 2010 brochure has lots of detail from a major fish survey done in 2009 including lots of info on Musky population and size.

http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/facilities/turtleflambeau/fishing.html


Tight Lines,

Tom502

[BlueRanger]

There has been no interruption of musky stocking in the TFF, and the 2009 survey confirmed that there is still no significant natural reproduction occurring - in fact, they didn't sample any naturally produced fish. The TFF currently receives 2500 large fingerlings in even years - this has been the per-lake limit in recent years due to hatchery production constraints. We're due again this fall. Trude Lake is stocked at the standard rate of 1 large fingerling per acre in odd years.

Stocking data for all Wisconsin lakes is available here - note that the TFF is split into two listings:

http://infotrek.er.usgs.gov/doc/wdnr_biology/Public_Stocking/StateMapHotspotsAllYears.htm

There is no population estimate available, because the DNR did not perform mark-recapture studies on muskies as they did with the walleyes. They just did a few days of fyke netting to look at the size structure. I have the raw data, and there's not much more detail than what you'll get from reading the summary in Tom's link.

I haven't fished that side of the lake in years, but with the water back up and the new bridge at Merkle, I'll definitely be heading back over there soon to hit the areas around Fourmile Creek and the Trude Lake outlet.

[AndrewR]

Awesome work with the links. Now we're talkin'! :)

[LundAngler]

I know that the TFF has produced some monster muskies over the years, but I've never really understood the "Class A" designation. As Blueranger mentioned in his post, this body of water doesn't naturally produce muskies without a lot of additional help from the DNR. Any thoughts?

[teenfisher]

will the dnr change the minimum length on muskies to 50 inches? it says in the fishery management plan they would do this if objective 4.2 in wich all muskie 20 inches and longer captured by fyke netting, 20 or 30% should be 42 inches or longer was not met. how does everyone feel about a 50 in minimum size limit?

[BlueRanger]

Class designations are explained here:

http://dnr.wi.gov/fish/musky/muskywaters_key.html

TFF is officially listed as Class A1, Category 2 but as noted, they haven't found any actual evidence to support the idea that natural reproduction is occurring.

Jeff Roth was very pleased with the size structure they found in last year's survey and didn't see any need to increase the size limit. He's retired, but I think his opinion will stand unless the creel census showed a high harvest rate. The objective was met, with 20.4% at 42" and larger, and there was a very large batch stocked in 2001 that should be reaching that size over the next few years.

[AndrewR]

By the way, anyone have the present water temps recorded?

Also, if anyone happens to fish the Flambeau River between the TFF and Park Falls, I'd like to know what the temps are there as well.

Thanks!

[BlueRanger]

I was reading surface temps of 74-75 degrees this weekend.

[Flambeau dreamer]

Andrew, I'm up here right now with a friend of yours...... Todd Rutkowski
from Cast Across America.
If you see us on the tff, stop and say hi.
We are in an old blue mirrorcraft, that says ss sports on the side.
Another way to tell its us, is if i'm standing, I look 7 feet tall.
good luck, and we hope to see you on the water
chris

[AndrewR]

Small world!!! Tell Todd that I sent him a message the other day on Facebook and I never heard back! :)

I should be out there Thursday or Friday.

If you see this boat below, you'll know it's me.

http://www.fishing-headquarters.com/fishcast/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/april57-650x496.jpg

[AndrewR]

Blaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.............. Never made it out last week. Had fears that the water would be boiling with those 90-something degree days we had.

Might go next week instead. I want a cool-down.

[Flambeau dreamer]

you got what you asked for as water temps dropped from the upper 70's/lower 80's, to the upper 60's/lower 70's. Oh yeah.... in two days too.
It was tough today for us as we never saw as much as a northern.
Good luck out there.
chris

[AndrewR]

I've got ideas. Thanks Chris!

[Mark Benson]

I may make it up there to fish the Baraboo area on Thursday night... then again maybe not, bear baiting and a wedding this weekend may prevent this, though I have to get to Springstead tomorrow night sometime to pick up an item for work.

Mark