Adults eat fish primarily, but occasionally consume small muskrats, ducks and other live food. Certain soft-finned prey fishes such as suckers or cisco may be preferred. Young muskellunge begin feeding on live zooplankton a few days after they hatch. After four or five days of feeding, they switch to live fish, if available, but can continue eating zooplankton for about a month. Reproduction Sexual maturity depends upon size and age.
Stunted fish tend to mature when they are younger and smaller.
The majority of females mature when they are 32-33 inches and 6 or 7 years old, although some females mature when only 25 inches long. Likewise, most males mature when they are 28-29 inches long and 5 or 6 years old, while stunted males mature when they are 21 or 22 inches long. The larger the female, the more eggs she will produce. A very large fish may produce over 400,000 eggs. Optimum water temperatures are about 55 degrees Fahrenheit, ranging from 49-60 degrees Fahrenheit.