Maryland Department of Natural Resources

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Maryland Muskie
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Maryland Muskie Program

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If you'd like information on the best times to go fishing, we recommend  ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
solunarforecast.com as a good guide.​


State Record Muskie

State Record Muskellunge

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) confirmed a Washington County man has set a new nontidal state record for muskellunge. Kyle Mullenix of Hagerstown caught the 33-pound, 49-inch long record muskie on March 2 along the banks of the upper Potomac River.

Regarded as the “fish of ten thousand casts,” muskies are the largest freshwater fish in Maryland and among the most difficult to catch.

Mullenix is credited with the first Maryland state fishing record of 2022. The 32-year-old lifelong angler said he has spent decades trying to catch a muskie. Using a 7-foot spinning rod and live bait, his luck finally changed.

​​The catch surpassed the previous Maryland state record held also by a Washington County resident, Tessa Cosens, whose catch tipped the scales at 32.5 pounds. 

The muskellunge, also known as “muskie” for short is one of the top trophy fish for many anglers.  These massive freshwater fish can live for over 20 years and grow to more than 50 inches long. It’s famous for not only being elusive but difficult to catch and many in the angling community regard this freshwater beast as “the fish of ten thousand casts.”

Muskies have become a naturalized sportfish in Maryland with the only population existing in the freshwater Potomac River. This is where you can find a team of biologists who are dedicated to managing this species and anglers that successfully keep the tradition of muskie fishing alive.

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