To learn about the Spider Lake Musky Research Project go to 2024 Spring SpiderLines article (p. 18) by Max Wolter, WDNR Fisheries Biologist. Or download the article here.  To download the presentation from the July 5, 2024 "Kick-Off" meeting click here.

UPDATES from Max Wolter:

July 12, 2024:  Colin and I were very pleased with the kickoff meeting last week! I attached the presentation from the meeting for anyone who was unable to attend Please let us know if that generates any questions we can answer!

After the meeting, the excitement for the project was contagious. In fact, my team wasted no time getting back out there to continue our work. We spent a day this week looking for juvenile pike and musky. It’s going to be a challenge, but we are learning a lot about what’s possible there. The photo below shows a pike we caught that was born this year. They are currently about 3” long, which creates a bit of a “needle in a haystack” scenario with all the expansive weedy bays.  

June 2024: The WDNR Fisheries Team from Hayward and WDNR Research Team from Spooner have been working hard to ramp up the Spider Lake Musky and Pike Project. This spring saw a flurry of survey activity, with a netting effort shortly after ice out targeting walleye, northern pike and muskellunge. Several electrofishing surveys are also being conducted, targeting bass and panfish in addition to the previously mentioned species. 

This is a larger survey effort than we have previously attempted on Spider Lake. In fact, it is shaping up to be one of the most ambitious survey efforts in northern Wisconsin in recent history. At the end of the year we should have estimates to the total number of northern pike and walleye. In 2025 we will complete an estimate of the total number of muskellunge.

Several hundred northern pike were removed during the survey effort. We encourage anglers to harvest pike they catch as well (remember, the bag limit has been increased to 10 per day!). WDNR teams are also working to deploy tags in muskellunge and northern pike and a sophisticated array of sensors to track their movement and interactions.

This project has been supported by private individuals and groups both locally and statewide. This project is the first of its kind for these species. The high tech equipment and approach will lead to insights into the fishery and will help us develop strategies to maximize opportunities for muskellunge and improved quality of pike.

The equipment is also pricey, and any additional financial support is welcome! If you or your family want to “sponsor” a tagged fish please reach out to max.wolter@wisconsin.gov. Project donors will receive periodic updates about what their fish is up to. All research and survey results will be shared with the Spider Chain of Lakes Association over time as the project progresses. We expect the project to last 2-4 years.