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New Muskie Size Limit
By: Dave Dreves
Sarah Terry with her 47-pound
Kentucky state record musky
Musky anglers fishing
Kentucky's reservoirs will be following a new 36-inch minimum size limit and one fish daily creel limit
effective March 1, 2010.This new, statewide size limit will be enforced on Kentucky's three
premiere reservoir musky fisheries of Cave Run Lake, Green River Lake, and Buckhorn Lake.
For quite some time,the musky fisheries of Kentucky have been considered by many anglers
as some of the best fisheries in the Southeast.This honor has been further cemented by the
catch of a new state record.
(47 lbs) musky from Cave Run Lake by Sarah Terry in 2008.
During previous years, musky populations have been managed under a 30-inch minimum size limit. Acting upon support
from local musky anglers and guides,the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources recently completed
an evaluation of a 40-inch minimum size limit at Buckhorn Lake.
Results from this study indicated that the 40-inch minimum size limit did increase the densities of 30- to 36-inch
musky, as well as the number of musky greater than 40 inches.
Based upon the findings of this study,the Commission approved a new 36-inch minimum size limit to be enacted
statewide at Kentucky's musky reservoirs.The goal of this new size limit is to help
improve musky fisheries, yet continue to allow adequate levels of harvest for anglers
catching a large musky.
Beginning in 2010, fisheries research biologists will begin an in depth evaluation of this new statewide size limit.
"Kentucky already has the reputation for world-class musky fisheries, but we truly want to see if we can make these fisheries
even better," says Gerry Buynak, program manager for the Fisheries Division.
Under this evaluation, fisheries biologists will be conducting spring electrofishing over the next five to eight years to
examine the effects of this new regulation on the abundance of several size classes of musky at Cave Run Lake, Green River
Lake, and Buckhorn Lake.
"We will be looking at densities of musky is several size classes including fish larger than 30 inches, 30 to 36 inches,
and bigger than 36 inches. We will also be looking at stomach contents of musky, growth rates, and angler catch rates of
musky in each of these three reservoirs,"says Dave Dreves, fisheries research biologist.
In Cave Run Lake, musky typically reach 30 inches by age three and 36 inches
by age five.
Ultimately, the Fisheries Division anticipates that the enactment of the new 36-inch minimum size limit will help to
increase angler catch rates of 30- to 36-inch musky, as well as musky larger than 36 inches.
This new regulation is also anticipated to help improve angler satisfaction across each reservoir as a result of higher catch
rates and larger size of musky.
For more information about this evaluation project,please feel free to contact Dave Dreves at
(502) 564-3400 ext. 4469.
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