Statewide wherever permanent water is available. Most abundant in the prairie pothole region.
Muskrats prefer well-vegetated sloughs and lakes with a fairly stable water level.
They are also found in creeks and rivers as well as in small potholes. Their existence in any area is dependent upon a year-round supply of water. When water areas go dry during the summer, the muskrats may move to another area. When potholes or sloughs freeze solidly to the bottom in winter, the muskrats will perish. Muskrats raise more than one litter a year with the first litter usually born in late May or early June.