Am I Crazy? Muskie Or Pickerel

[vonreed]

I was in a canoe today in Springfield Lake. I've never seen a pickerel so I'm not sure. But anyways, I looked right at the edge of the bank and there was a fish about 1 foot long. It looked just like a Muskie. I know for a fact it wasn't a gar. It's head was big like a muskie and the snout was about 2 inches across all the was to the tip of the nose. Do Pickerel look like this? Opinions appreciated.

[zander]

It could have been a southern chain pickerel. They like warmer water and in Louisiana I caught a 3 pound one in a forest creek not 6 feet wide and three feet deep under a fallen beech tree on a white marabou jig. Pretty hardy fish, taste pretty good but lots of tiny bones so fry them really hot.

[Gavin]

I'm thinking Grass Pickeral unless they stock Musky in that lake. Grass, Chains, and Musky all look similar. Grass pickeral are the smallest of the pike family known to inhabit MO..They dont get very big, maybe a foot long..Chain Pickeral get a little bigger, I've caught a few over 2' long on the 11pt but I'm not sure if they are found in Lake Springfield. Never have caught a Musky in MO. Cheers.

Chain Pickeral

http://mdc.mo.gov/cgi-bin/mofish/mofish.cgi?id=35

[vonreed]

I know they wouldn't of been stocked, but thought some fisherman might have caught a few out of the lake above Springfield and brought em down. Probably was a pickerel though, it just looked like a muskie.

[creek wader]

Fellows Lake above Springfield, has a good muskie population. It probably found it's way down from there, one way or another.

[JRay]

It was a grass pickerel and if it was a foot long that was a nice one!

[WebFreeman]

Fellows and Lake Spfd. don't connect. Fellows watershed flows west then north. Lake Spfd is on the James. I would guess it was a pickeral. Lake Spfd use to be real weedy, which I think I read is prime pickeral habitat. Did you try and catch it? That would be fun, I bet.

[vonreed]

No I didn't try to catch it, but I did give it a good bug eyed stare. I just figured some clever fisherman had transfered it from Fellows Lake. I guess next time if I see a 3 footer I'll know for sure.

[Trav]

Odds are it is just a nice grass pickeral. Doubt any musky have enough depth in that lake to even establish a population.

If you look at the summertime o2 levels of the place you will see my rational. Im surprised the lake isnt full of bullhead. Be perfect for it.

I love bullhead fishing....hard to find here the ozarks mountains.

[smallmouth man]

like it was already said, fellows runs in to Stockton. Springfield in the james, it runs in to TR. anyway, there is no way muskie could establish a population. they do not reproduce anywhere in southern MO. they stock muskie in fellows and pomme. At power pool, Springfield gets 18 feet deep. fellows gets 80+ feet deep! also, MDC said a few years ago that Springfield lake has state record largemouth in it. they shocked the lake 7 or 8 years ago. Springfield has tons of catfish, but most a small. a few bigs but 2+ lbs is not an everyday catch.