The Midwest will always be known as the musky capital, but the Northeast has its fair share of hotspots that are capable of coughing up some big fish. (Photo courtesy of St. Croix Rods)
September 08, 2025
By Mark Modoski
Before I became a dedicated musky angler, I made repeated, futile attempts to catch the infamous “fish of 10,000 casts.” I bought musky tackle, lures and even an oversized net in preparation for some big fish. Like most novices, however, I did almost everything wrong. But learning is a huge part of the musky fishing game in the Northeast, and no one does it right at the start. One summer day just before dusk on a small New Jersey musky water, everything finally came together for me.
Fishing from my friend’s canoe (a watercraft that I absolutely do not recommend for musky fishing), I cast a large topwater toward a weed line and began to “walk the dog” back to the boat. Within seconds, all hell broke loose. What was most likely a large fish inhaled my bait on the surface and thrashed around for what seemed like an eternity. I felt the weight of the heavy musky … and then I didn’t. I was heartbroken, but no less determined to target these fish. I’ve never been the same since.
Today, I cringe when I hear muskies referred to as the “fish of 10,000 casts.” If it takes you 10,000 casts to catch a musky, you’re either not doing it right, not fishing in a lake or river with muskies or just not fishing for muskies at all. Although it takes some time and patience to find active fish, or to annoy one enough to cause it to bite, muskies are actually quite predictable. With a little knowledge of where the fish are at different times of the year and a couple of the right baits, you too can consistently catch muskies. Now, you may go two or three trips without catching one, and then catch four or more on the next trip. This isn’t panfishing, after all. But if you want to catch muskies, and possibly a giant, you’re going to have to put in some time in both scouting great places to go and learning the techniques.
Handling fish properly for safe release is important. Quickly remove the hook, hold it horizontally and gently lower it back into the water. (Photo courtesy of Shimano North America Fishing) GO-TO MUSKY GEAR Many companies sell musky-specific spinning rods these days, but if you want to successfully cast and retrieve the right baits, you need to know how to handle a baitcasting rod and reel. There are a ton of good musky casting rods out there, and you want one that can handle lures weighing a minimum of 3 ounces and possibly more than 10 ounces, depending on where and when you’re fishing. The rod should be between 8 and 10 feet long; my favorites are 9 feet long. A 9-footer will allow you to plunge the rod tip in the water when you see a musky trailing your lure at the end of the retrieve and continue to move the bait in a figure-8 motion until it (hopefully) bites. Watching a musky hit boatside is what keeps me coming back, and if you don’t learn how to do the figure-8, you’re going to miss more than half the catchable fish.
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Most savvy musky anglers employ round casting reels. If you cheap out on a reel, it’s going to break. Reels with a minimum of 15 pounds of drag (preferably more) usually have the durability to handle muskies. The majority of the strain on the reel does not come from fighting muskies, but more from casting heavy lures and retrieving baits that create a ton of drag. From the end of May through September and sometimes later, I throw a double-10 bladed bucktail probably 90 percent of the time. A bait like this requires a high-quality reel with a low gear ratio. Without a stout reel, you’re either going to become exhausted from retrieving it within minutes or literally bend your reel handle.
The last two components for gearing up for muskies are line and leader. Braid in either 80- or 100-pound test is essential. Not only do you want to quickly subdue your fish to give it the best chance at survival, but heavy baits will quickly disappear if you backlash with lighter line. And those cute little black leaders you can buy at the tackle shop? Don’t even think about it—even if they’re rated as 100-pound-test. You need a quality, 135-pound-plus fluorocarbon leader with a Duo Lock or equivalent snap. And if you’re going to fish bucktails, you will need a leader with a ball-bearing swivel to prevent line twist.
Large, heavily-weighted soft plastics are a popular style of musky lure that require a stout rod and reel to work properly. (Photo courtesy of Shimano North America Fishing) NEW TO MUSKY FISHING? If there is one piece of advice I would give new musky anglers, it’s to not buy into the lure craze. Online shops have hundreds of lures that look pretty and get anglers excited. I used to bring more than 50 baits on a musky fishing outing. Now I take three. As far as colors go, there’s another old saying that applies: There are only three colors you need to catch muskies. One of them is black, and the other two are also black.
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Double-bladed bucktails are the most indispensable lure, preferably in black with either silver or black blades. If you have a reel that can crank them in, No. 10 blades seem to have a sound and vibration that make muskies eat them more than any other. It’s a big-fish bait as well. I have caught dozens of muskies on a black/black No. 10 bucktail, and not one has been less than 40 inches in length. If you don’t have the reel or the stamina to crank these in, try smaller blades and reel them in as fast as you can.
When the water cools, or if you are fishing deeper water, muskies may be a little slower on the take. That being said, they are still very much feeding and are looking for huge, easy meals.
This is when you’ll want to employ a large jerkbait that you can use to walk the dog just below the surface, or a giant rubber bait with a tail. These lures can go from 8 ounces up to 16 ounces, so make sure you have the right rod to throw them. Jerkbaits can be thrown on a shorter 7- to 7 1/2-foot rod, as it’s easier to work them back and forth, but longer rods should be used to throw heavy rubber.
The vaunted figure-eight boat-side technique is designed to trigger following fish into striking. When done properly, it can be deadly.(Photo courtesy of St. Croix Rods ) NORTHEASTERN MUSKY HOT SPOTS If you’re an angler in the East on the hunt for big fish, where do you go? Here’s a starter list.
New York Other than the St. Lawrence River on the U.S.-Canada border, which can be challenging for novice anglers, Chautauqua Lake sits atop the list of New York’s premier musky waters. Many anglers from other states make regular pilgrimages to Chautaqua for its productivity. Located in Chautauqua County just south of Lake Erie, the lake is easily accessed and has good numbers of muskies. Chautauqua is 17 miles long, 2 miles wide and covers approximately 13,000 acres, with a maximum depth of 78 feet. The lake has deeper stretches and structure that appeal to trollers, and a shallow, weedy North Basin for those who prefer to cast lures. There are numerous public launches, lodgings, camping and a handful of guides on the lake who specialize in musky fishing. New Jersey Although Greenwood Lake stands as the Garden State’s most productive musky fishery, the complete lack of public access knocks it down a few pegs in terms of favorable destinations. An equivalent fishery with diverse habitat, a huge food supply of alewives, good numbers and large fish is Lake Hopatcong. Numerous fish over 50 inches are caught in Hopatcong by musky anglers both casting and trolling. The lake features a handful of state and county boat launches. Pennsylvania The Keystone State is stuffed with quality musky waters, and it’s hard to crown just one. The Allegheny, Susquehanna, Youghiogheny and even the Schuylkill are all solid esox rivers. However, their tendency to have shallow, rocky bars that can destroy a lower unit make them risky to navigate. One waterway that stands out, however, is Marsh Creek Lake in Chester County. There is a massive stocking effort by both the state and the local chapter of Muskies Inc. that has produced a population of muskies per acre that anglers from surrounding states will drive hours to take a shot at. There are plenty of public launches, but be warned: The lake gets a ton of pressure from both bass tournaments and musky anglers. If you’re planning a trip, a weekday adventure might be your best bet. Connecticut Connecticut may not spring to mind as a top state for musky fishing, but if you want your best chance at catching a beautiful tiger musky (a hybrid of a northern pike and a muskellunge), Lake Lillinonah, less than 2 hours from New York City, is worth the trip. Lake Lillinonah Park offers a boat launch, picnic area, bathrooms and grills. The lake has produced numerous tiger muskies that creep close to 30 pounds, so if you’re searching for your first tiger and a shot at a giant, this is your best-bet destination. Massachusetts The Bay State also boasts an aggressive stocking effort for tiger muskies. Atop the list for productivity and popularity, Lake Chauncy in Westborough is the place to fish. The small, 182-acre lake with a maximum depth of only 14 feet, can be picked apart over the course of a day, allowing anglers a solid chance of contacting a fish. The beautiful lake with splendid scenery has plenty of public access with minimal or no fees for launching a boat. This article was featured in the August issue of Game & Fish magazine. Click to subscribe .
