Spawning Season Distribution in Subpopulations of Muskellunge in Georgian Bay, Lake Huron

Abstract Loss of spawning and nursery habitats has been implicated as a major factor in the widespread decline of Muskellunge Esox masquinongy populations in North America. Although there is limited evidence of spawning site fidelity in Great Lakes populations of Muskellunge, such behavior could result in recruitment failure if individuals return each year to spawning sites that have become degraded. We compared the spawning behaviors of …