$4,500 Musky Study Grant

June 3, 2026

MN-FISH Awarded a $4,500 Grant To Expand Leech Lake Muskie Study

The Hugh C. Becker Foundation of Twin Cities Chapter of Muskies, Inc.

 

MN-FISH's groundbreaking research, launched May 2025 on Leech Lake, will span three years and focus on understanding muskie movement and survival rates through advanced telemetry. This project represents a collaborative effort between MN-FISH, Bemidji State University (BSU), MN Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe.

 

Thanks to the Hugh C. Becker Foundation of the Twin Cities Chapter of Muskies Inc., MN-FISH will use these funds to provide additional resources and equipment to expand this important study.

 

This is poised to be the most significant muskie survival study ever conducted in the United States, and we are excited for the vital contributions it will make to preserving muskies while supporting the DNR’s mission to sustainably manage Minnesota’s natural resources.

2026 Leech Lake Muskie Study Update

 

The second field season of the Leech Lake musky study is underway, kicking off just after ice out in late April. To start off the field season spring trap netting was used to tag additional Muskellunge to bolster the sample size of tagged individuals. Although spring conditions were unfavorable, we were fortunate enough to surgically implant trackers in 8 more individuals, increasing our sample size to 23 individuals as a result of the 2025 and 2026 trap netting efforts.

 

Along side spring trap netting active tracking was underway, breaking down the lake searching for tagged individuals from last year and monitoring tagged fish from this year. New for the 2026 field season a second crew running a boat outfitted with active tracking equipment will be out on the lake aiding in efforts to track individual fish and offload data from passive receivers placed around the lake. As the spring continues we will be deploying additional passive receivers and retrieve those that were placed in 2025 to change batteries and offload data.

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Check Out MN-FISH's Appearance On The Popular "Fish Hunt Forever" Podcast

 

From host Bret Amundson: "On this week’s show, we’re talking about improving fishing in Minnesota with MN-FISH. Ron Schara, Garry Leaf, and Mark Holsten join the show and talk about why MN-FISH was created, why the group is important, and what anglers need to do if we want to keep fishing solid in this state. They talk about issues that have been neglected by our legislature and more. Bret, Dan and David start the show talking about the big announcement for electronic fishing and hunting licenses, and Joe Henry gives us a Lake of the Woods fishing report and has a special guest from the American Sportfishing Association." See episode 716.
Visit The "Fish Hunt Forever" Website

$25,000 Chore Warrior Challenge Grant MET!

 

Thank you to all who participated in the Chore Warrior Matching Challenge! You helped us raise more than $50,000! We cannot share your voice without your support.
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