Why Lake St. Clair may be the world’s best muskie water

For anglers in the know, autumn is big-fish time. And in the provinces (and U.S. states) around the Great Lakes, gamefish don’t come any bigger than muskies. These huge, toothy, often-elusive predators have long been known as “the fish of 10,000 casts.” And that’s not far from the truth, except for one place: Lake St. Clair.

On this broad, shallow lake, several decades of far-thinking conservation measures, perfect growing conditions and a strong catch-and-release ethos have created an exceptional fishery. The result is that on St. Clair, muskies have become “the fish of a few hours of pleasant trolling.”