Chautauqua Lake Musky Info From NYDEC

Chautauqua Lake is recognized as a premiere, world-class muskellunge fishery. Many fish in the 40-50 inch class are caught each year. Although not known for producing New York's largest muskellunge (the St. Lawrence River or Buffalo Harbor hold this honor) the action can be fast and furious and the lake is almost always fishable. While anglers use a variety of methods to catch musky, two proven techniques are trolling and casting in the shallow weedy bays. Trolling is generally more effective, but requires specialized techniques and experience. Speed trolling, or trolling in the "prop wash" has become in popular in recent years but specialized gear is needed to handle the strikes of trophy muskellunge on such short line. If you are interested in only the largest musky, a radio tracking study in the late 1990s showed the largest fish spent their time suspended over deep water rather than associated with structure. Smaller to moderate sized musky were normally associated with weed lines and drop offs. DEC surveys indicate a healthy musky population that has rebounded from declines in the early 1990s. More than 75% of the musky handled in the trap nets result from fingerlings stocked by the NYS-DEC Prendergast Hatchery. In 2006, the stocking rate will be increased from 10,000 to 13,000 pond-finished fingerlings averaging 8.5 to 9 inches in length with an even larger length achieved for ponds that receive minnows donated by the Chautauqua Musky Hunters, a local chapter of Muskies Inc. The minimum size limit for musky in Chautauqua is 40 inches and the creel is limited to one fish per person, per day. To maintain quality muskellunge fishing, anglers are encouraged to release their catch without even bringing the fish into the boat. Studies show that if muskellunge are handled carefully the odds of surviving to be caught again are excellent.