IDNR biologists conducted an annual, spring trap net survey on Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area's Prairie Lake to assess the muskie population on 3/26 - 3/28. They collected a total of 47 muskie in 48 trap net nights measuring up to 47.0" and weighing up to 36.8 lbs. They collected 23 females and 24 males with 3 fish weighing over 30 lbs. All fish were in excellent body condition.

IDNR started conducting a population estimate and age and growth study on Prairie Lake muskie in 2016 using PIT tags (Passive Integrated Transponder), which are small electronic tags that have a unique ID number that allow them to identify individual fish. They are inserted near the dorsal fin of the fish and can only be located and read by a PIT tag reader. During the 2018 spring survey, we collected 34 new fish and 13 recaptures (1 fish was captured three years in a row).