Why Northern Pike are not introduced to central Illinois

**jnebgud** · 01-29-2017, 10:26 PM

Just wondering why Northern Pike are not more prevalent in central Illinois lakes such as Evergreen where nice Muskies are and Bloomington where Muskies reside but are not as numerous. My reasoning is due to them being aggressive feeders that could help relieve the stunted fish situations that arise at both lakes from time to time taking out the 1,000,001 8.75" and allowing the others to go to 12-14" range. They are also excellent excellent on the dinner table with a mess of nice crappies. Any thoughts. If they can survive in the Kankakee River don't see why they would not do good in other areas

**1750outfiterss** · 01-29-2017, 10:53 PM

DNR has no money.Hatcheries are understaffed. Muskies love Pike.There is a smaller State lake near me that used to be a decent pike lake untell Skis were stocked now not so good,but DNR claims there is a state record Ski swimming around in it.Do real good on them in June

**jnebgud** · 01-30-2017, 08:38 AM

City of Bloomington owns both lakes. Sticker fee for each. I agree with dnr short on money, but I'd like to see the city loosen the purse strings a little

**bdw** · 01-30-2017, 10:10 AM

I believe they were initially stocked in Kinkaid (not central IL), didn't do well so they switched to Muskies.

**jnebgud** · 01-30-2017, 10:20 AM

Love to see it attempted again

**Banjomarsh** · 01-31-2017, 12:22 AM

I think they still raise them at the Jake Wolf hatchery and I sure they net them at Spring Lake south to milk them to take to the hatchery that is next door. I think they trade them for fish from other hatcheries. I too wish they would stock them locally. I like to eat them and they fun to catch.

**hairy lures** · 01-31-2017, 09:42 AM

Originally Posted by Banjomarsh

I think they still raise them at the Jake Wolf hatchery and I sure they net them at Spring Lake south to milk them to take to the hatchery that is next door. I think they trade them for fish from other hatcheries. I too wish they would stock them locally. I like to eat them and they fun to catch.

Northerns do best in a cold water environment. They can and do overpopulate if the conditions are right for them. About 40 years ago he Wisconsin DNR 'accidentally' dumped a couple truckloads of the into the Chippewa Flowage, where they had never been. Within 5 years they had almost completely wiped out every musky fingerling in the Flowage (they spawn earlier) and almost destroyed the once thriving black crappie population. Trust me when I say that you DON'T want northerns stocked in Illinois! Once they get big they are fun to catch and good to eat, but the damage they do while GETTING big is pretty tough to accept...

**clfarms1** · 01-31-2017, 12:30 PM

I believe they tried them in Lake Shelbyville and it didn't work out as Musky hasn't worked as well as they hoped.

**jnebgud** · 01-31-2017, 01:26 PM

Great information.. thank you for the responses

**SeaRay** · 01-31-2017, 02:53 PM

Here is an interesting musky story. Last year a kayak angler here in SC caught a decent size musky in the Broad River here in the state. He was fishing with a DNR employee who thought it was a musky so the had it verified by the DNR biologist here. That river has a good smallmouth population, but the musky was a surprise. They were stocked in Lake Lure NC many years ago and some still are in the lake, but no one was sure how this one got in the Broad River and found its way into SC

Thread: Why Northern Pike are not introduced to central Illinois

Thread Tools

Display

Why Northern Pike are not introduced to central Illinois

northerns

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions