Where do muskie spend the winter under the ice?

Telemetry shows winter muskie are homebodies at depth: fish settle into moderate basins and deep flats, often 5–12 m (16–39 ft), move little, and hold near whatever forage overwinters — perch schools, sucker concentrations, cisco in the deep lakes. Activity does not zero out; fish make short daily shifts and take an occasional large meal, which is how pike-oriented ice anglers end up with incidental muskie on tip-ups. Most core-range jurisdictions close the season through winter, so the practical version of this answer is about respectful release of incidental catches: fast, in cold air keep the fish's gills and eyes wet, and skip the hero photos below freezing.

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