Muskellunge, << MUHS kuh luhnj, >> is the largest fish of the pike family. It may reach a length of 6 feet (1.8 meters) and weigh about 100 pounds (45 kilograms). But most muskellunges are from 21/3 to 4 feet (0.7 to 1.2 meters) long and weigh 5 to 36 pounds (2 to 16 kilograms). The maximum life span of a muskellunge is about 25 years. The muskellunge looks much like the common pike. But, unlike the common pike, the muskellunge has no scales on the lower half of its head. Muskellunges may be brown, gray, green, or silver. Most have dark bars or spots on their side, but some are plain.
The muskellunge lives in the lakes and quiet rivers of southern Canada. It also is found in the upper Mississippi Valley, the Great Lakes, and the St. Lawrence and Ohio rivers. Many people consider the muskellunge among the best of food fishes.
The “musky” is a prize among fishing enthusiasts. The fish is rarely found far from cover in the waters where it lives. Large adults feed on other large fish, ducks, muskrats, and other vertebrates.
