To maintain population levels, fisheries managers have had to raise muskellunge and northern pike in hatcheries and stock them in the wild. Restoration projects have been attempted for both muskellunge and northern pike. These projects have entailed activities such as reclaiming swampy and marshy areas to placing certain substrates in areas where fish are thought to spawn. Substrates are important because they establish an environment for fish eggs. Some substrates are known to smother eggs, but others provide support and aeration.
Some substrates provide oxygen to the eggs, while others take it away.
Some substrates are even thought to give off chemicals that inhibit bacterial and fungal growth, thus providing protection to the developing eggs. Artificial plastic plants 4. We constructed this list of substrates from past papers on muskellunge and northern pike breeding biology. Each paper suggested a different substrate or group of substrates as being the best for muskellunge and northern pike spawning areas. The 11 substrates listed above were mentioned most often in the articles we read.