## 4 Discussion
It was hypothesized that dispersal and movement rates observed for May-stocked Muskellunge may be influenced by the availability of emergent and submersed aquatic vegetation at the time of stocking [29]. In this study and for evaluations conducted in Spirit Lake for June-stocked yearling Muskellunge [29], submersed aquatic vegetation at the time of stocking was extensive, and fish dispersal from stocking locations and movement rates were rapid. Those stocked in May, however, were associated more with emergent vegetation that was common near the stocking location, and observed dispersal rates weremuch lower [29]. At Lake Cornelia, nearshore stocking of Muskellunge in habitats that were void of emergent vegetation had rapid dispersal and movement patterns. These observations may suggest that increased fish size at stocking may facilitate increased dispersal and movement patterns compared to smaller stocked counterparts. However, linear models relating fish size to mean first-week dispersal rates were inconclusive for radio-tagged Muskellunge in this study (\(p>0.28\); r\({}^{2}<0.20\)). In addition, Muskellunge stocked in May and June during 2020 that had large differences in 10 DPS dispersal rates were of similar size (mean of 336 and 343 mm [29]). Thus, the propensity for stocked Muskellunge to disperse and exhibit large movement patterns seems to be more related to the timing of stocking and the abundance and type of aquatic vegetation residing at each stocking location. Correspondingly, these movement patterns substantially influence the location, depth, and aquatic plant biovolume usage frequency of Muskellunge throughout the experiment. In this study, it was well documented that Muskellunge were associated with deeper, vegetated habitats soon after stocking and most remained exclusively in these habitats throughout the entire telemetry experiment. The results of this study indicate that Muskellunge yearling survival can be improved in natural lakes by stocking larger fish and validate previous models relating increased Muskellunge size at stocking to increased survival in the wild for fish \(\geq 375\) mm TL [29]. These relationships as reported here and elsewhere have prompted increased agency interest in culture techniques that improve stocked fish size across the Midwest US. However, the ability to consistently produce hatchery-reared Muskellunge yearlings at sizes beyond those traditionally reared can be difficult. For example, some agencies have experimented with overwintering fingerling Muskellunge in earnten ponds but observed minimal overwinter growth (21.7 mm; mean total length [TL] of 267 mm) and suggested that the expense of live forage may become cost-prohibitive [38]. The culture method used during this evaluation incorporated a hybrid cultivation technique that has not been used extensively in Iowa previously. However, consistent production of quality large yearling Muskellunge may require changes in cultivation techniques, duration of cultivation, and increased direct and indirect expenses that may inhibit cost-effective solutions. Thus, culture techniques that consistently produce large hatchery-produced Muskellunge continue to be explored in Iowa and elsewhere. Nonetheless, the results from this study provide fundamental information regarding stocked Muskellunge survival, behavior, and habitat usage that can be used as a framework in future evaluations of hatchery-reared Muskellunge in natural lakes. This study was funded by Iowa fishing license sales and the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Program grant F23 AF01050. This study was funded by Iowa fishing license sales and the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Program. I thank the Iowa DNR staff at the Rathbun Fish Hatchery and Spirit Lake Fish Hatchery for rearing and hauling yearling Muskellunge. [PERSON], [PERSON], and [PERSON] assisted with tagging, stocking, and tracking yearling Muskellunge. [PERSON] assisted with ArcMap analyses. This manuscript was improved with comments from [PERSON] and [PERSON].