Michigan Study Reveals Massive Muskie Travel Distances

You might be surprised by just how far a muskie will travel in the Great Lakes. With a seven-year study now underway, early findings are already revealing some truly astonishing behavior.

Michigan's Muskellunge

Getty Images/iStockphoto

Muskellunge (muskie) can grow to more than 50 inches in length and weigh upwards of 50 pounds. In Michigan, the current state record stands at an impressive 58 inches and 58 pounds. And as the teeth in the photo above clearly show, this is one fish you need to handle with extreme care.

Getty Images

I’ve only caught a couple of fingerling muskies while fishing for bluegill in Kentucky, but I once lost a 50+ inch fish in Indiana, and it was easily one of the best fights of my fishing career.

Getty Images/iStockphoto

Most anglers practice catch and release with muskie, since it can take up to 17 years for one to reach 50 inches. By recording your fish’s length, girth, and head size, and taking a few clear photos, you can have a taxidermist create an exact replica mount. That way, the fish you caught can live on and potentially be caught again by another angler.

There is a muskie research program that started in Holland's Lake Macatawa that even has seasoned muskie guides expressing surprise

Muskies on the Move: A Surprising Migration Story

Getty Images/iStockphoto

According to MLive, The Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Division teamed up with the Michigan Muskie Alliance, Great Lakes Acoustic Telemetry Observation System, and Grand Valley State University to track the movement of muskie.

Getty Images/iStockphoto

In April 2025, researchers tagged 20 muskies in Lake Macatawa and having since logged nearly 70,000 detections. The findings revealed unexpectedly long-distance movements, with the fish leaving the lake for part of the year and traveling hundreds of miles through Lake Michigan.

Get our free mobile app

The batteries in the tags attached to the muskie are designed to last seven years, with a final report expected to be released in six years.

👇BELOW: Michigan's 58 Fishing Records: Species, Weight, Length, and Date👇

Michigan's 58 Fishing Records: Species, Weight, Length, and Date

While fishing is considered a leisure sport, it can be incredibly competitive. From fishing tournaments to combo rod dock fishing, it's a sport that doesn't have age requirements to set records. All you need is a means to fish and measure your catch. According to LandBigFish.com, here's a look at the 58 fishing records set in Michigan.

Gallery Credit: Scott Clow