Conserving and restoring muskellunge (Esox masquinongy) spawning habitat are essential for maintaining self-sustaining populations. A Maxent model was developed based on presence and background data to investigate the relationship between the occurrence of spawning muskellunge and habitat features in the upper Niagara River. Muskellunge spawning points (n = 15) were determined by direct observation of spawning pairs. Model inputs were based on micro-habitat features collected at each spawning point and a sample of 250 background habitat points. The full model was reduced to a four variable model to remove uninformative variables and reduce overfitting and redundancy. Model performance was evaluated based on the mean test gain of cross-validated models (n = 15). Model outputs identified aquatic macrophyte/algae coverage as the most important habitat feature at spawning locations. The relative probability of muskellunge spawning increased with the percent rank of total aquatic macrophyte/algae coverage, water velocity, and water depth and it was highest at points with muddy-sand to sand substrates. Mean test gain (0.68; SE = 0.52) of the cross-validated models indicated that the likelihood of an average muskellunge spawning point was nearly two times greater than an average background point. Results from this research advance our knowledge of muskellunge reproductive ecology, while providing scientists and managers with quantitative measures to guide habitat conservation and restoration.
Catch and Release Muskie Fishing – Let Them Go – Let Them Grow