How late into fall can you realistically catch muskie?
Until ice or the lawbook stops you. On Green Bay, the St. Lawrence, and big Ontario waters, dedicated boats fish through November into December in 4–6 °C (39–43 °F) water, and some of the year's largest fish come in the final week. The late game is slow and heavy: oversized rubber crawled on long pauses, live or dead suckers on quick-strike rigs, trolling big minnowbaits at crawl speeds over bait schools. Check the closing date — many jurisdictions close muskie on December 15 or earlier — and respect the cold-air caveat: at sub-zero air temperatures, eyes and gill filaments can freeze during a long photo session, so keep the fish in the water and the camera work brutal and brief.
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More questions about Fall (Cold-Water Feed-Up)
Same topic, other species
- Is late fall really a big-crappie window? — Crappie
- Why is fall the jumbo window? — Yellow Perch
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