Fishing for Pike and Muskie in Murky Water

Fishing for Pike and Muskie in Murky Water

Pike and muskie continue to thrive in waters with low visibility. In
darker water, pike rely more on their lateral line instead of their vision
to feed. Pike and muskie are sight feeders, although muskie seem to
see better at night than northern pike. In darker water, fishing is often
better during the day because they can use their vision much more to
help them feed.

Good pike anglers will take a majority of their fish during the middle of
day on lakes that have murky water.

Most murky water lakes are fairly shallow. With the shallow
temperatures and warm bottom, the water warms quickly. You can
catch fish a lot earlier in the year in these lakes compared to deeper,
clear water lakes. In shallow water lakes, there usually isn’t enough
oxygen below the thermocline during the summer. In shallow lakes,
most pike will stay in less than 15 feet of water because of where the
thermocline starts. In deeper lakes, the thermocline can be 25 to 30
feet down which makes fishing more challenging.

Calm, sunny weather actually provides better fishing in murky lakes.
Fishing is also better during the middle of the day on these waters
because fish have more visibility. Mild cold fronts have little effect on
the fishing in murky water, however, severe cold fronts can slow down
the fishing.

Large, noisy baits are preferred for fishing in dark water. Topwaters,
rattling crankbaits and minnow plugs, large-bladed spinner baits and
bucktail spinners are the top choices for fishing in murky water.
Steady retrieves produce better than erratic retrieves because the
fish have time to home in on the lure. Fluorescent colors typically
work best.

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