BIG Tiger Muskie Caught At Gross Reservoir Projected To Be 6 Years Old
(CBS4) - A 34 inch, 11 pound tiger muskie was captured and released at Gross Reservoir this week, and a photo tweeted by Colorado Parks and Wildlife shows one of the smiling state workers who caught it as part of their fish surveying operations. Tiger muskies are predatory species that are stocked into reservoirs across the state to help control a specific fish population.
Tiger muskies go after white and longnose suckers. If those fish are left unchecked they might dominate Colorado's waters.
CPW has numerous aquatics teams who monitor how the fish populations are doing in reservoirs and other bodies of water across the state. The biological info they gather helps with management of the state's fisheries. The team that caught this fish estimates that it must have been swimming around in Gross Reservoir for about 6 years. Gross Reservoir is located in the Boulder County foothills.
The tiger muskie looks huge in CPW's photo. But it is actually 2 inches smaller than a tiger muskie has to be in order for an angler to catch one and bring it home.
You can read more about the role played in the state's aquatic ecosystem by the tiger muskie -- "a silent predator" -- on a special section of the Colorado Parks and Wildlife website.