Musky Opener 2026: Price County’s Best Lakes, Tactics,

Musky Opener 2026: The Saturday Before Memorial Day Brings the Season’s Biggest Question to Price County

The musky opener moved. If you’ve been fishing Wisconsin for more than a few years, you remember when musky season started the Saturday after Memorial Day. That changed in 2023, and for 2026, the statewide musky opener is Saturday, May 24, the Saturday before Memorial Day. If you’re planning your weekend around the old date, you’re a week late.

Here’s what you need to know about catching musky in Price County this season, where to find them, and why the opener matters more than most anglers realize. Read more Price County stories from across the web.

Why the Musky Opener Date Changed

Wisconsin moved the musky opener to the Saturday before Memorial Day beginning in 2023. The reason was simple: give anglers an extra weekend. Musky fishing brings an estimated $5.8 billion to Wisconsin’s economy annually (per the Wisconsin DNR’s 2024 economic impact report), and a lot of that spending happens in the first two weeks of the season.

The change wasn’t without controversy. Some conservation groups argued that earlier openers could stress pre-spawn females on lakes where musky spawn late. The DNR’s response was that most northern Wisconsin musky have completed spawning by mid-May, and the slot limits and catch-and-release regulations on most waters provide sufficient protection.

The regulation that matters most: on the Phillips Chain (Duroy, Elk, Long, Wilson), Spirit Lake, and Butternut Lake, musky must be 40 inches or longer to keep, with a daily bag limit of 1. On most other Price County waters, the statewide minimum is 40 inches. Know the water you’re fishing before you measure a fish. Special regulations can change, so always check the current DNR regulations before you go.

Where to Fish Musky in Price County

Price County doesn’t have the trophy reputation of Vilas or Oneida counties, and that’s exactly why you should fish here. The pressure is lower, the fish are less educated, and the lakes are close enough to each other that you can hit three in a day without trailering.

Spirit Lake

The best musky water in Price County, period. Spirit Lake holds fish over 45 inches, and the population is sustained by natural reproduction supplemented by DNR stocking. The south shore rock piles that hold walleyes in May transition to musky structure by mid-June. Fish 8-14 feet over the rock humps with bucktails or glide baits. The key time on Spirit Lake is the last two hours of daylight. Musky here go on a feeding binge as the sun hits the tree line.

The Phillips Chain (Long Lake especially)

Long Lake produces more legal musky per effort than any other water in the chain. The weeds on the east shore hold fish all summer. Early season, focus on the 6-10 foot cabbage beds with a small bucktail (black/orange or fire tiger). Don’t overlook the narrows between Long and Elk. The current concentrates baitfish and musky follow.

Butternut Lake

Butternut doesn’t have the numbers that Spirit Lake does, but it produces bigger fish on average. The 40-inch minimum (same as Spirit Lake and the Phillips Chain) means every legal fish is a trophy. Fish the east shore weed edges and the sunken island near the middle of the lake. Butternut runs warm early, so opener weekend musky here will be more active than on the deeper, colder lakes.

Flambeau River (Price County section)

The river musky is a different animal. They’re meaner, they fight harder, and they live in current seams that most anglers don’t fish. Focus on the deeper pools below rapids, especially where tributaries enter the main river. A 6-inch Jake or a medium Bulldawg worked slowly through current breaks will get eaten. The Flambeau section between Lugerville and the Price/Sawyer county line holds good numbers of mid-30s musky. Wade carefully. The river is still high in late May.

Opener Weekend Tactics: What Actually Works

Forget the television shows. Opener weekend musky fishing in Price County is not about casting 12-inch rubber baits at visible structure. The water is still in the mid-50s. The fish are recovering from spawn. They’re not chasing anything far. Here’s what works:

Early Season Bucktails

A small (#4 or #5) bucktail in black/orange, fire tiger, or chartreuse is the most productive opener bait on Price County waters. Cast parallel to weed edges, reel just fast enough to keep the blade spinning, and figure-8 at the boat on every cast. Opener musky often follow without striking. The figure-8 is what triggers them.

Glide Baits

A 6-7 inch glide bait (Phantom, Medussa) worked slowly over rock humps and weed edges. Pause for 3-5 seconds between pulls. The pause is the trigger. If you’re not pausing, you’re reeling too fast for opener water temps.

Sucker Rig (for Keepers Only)

If you’re serious about harvesting a legal fish, a quick-strike sucker rig with a 10-12 inch sucker fished on the bottom of a rock hump is the highest-percentage method. But know this: the DNR and every conservation group in Wisconsin would rather you release musky. The economics are clear. A 40-inch musky is worth roughly $10,000 in future tourism spending to the local economy. A mounted musky is worth whatever your taxidermist charges. Release the fish.

What to Expect on Opener Weekend

Crowds. Not “can’t find a parking spot” crowds, but “the good spots on Spirit Lake will have two boats on them by 6 AM” crowds. Price County doesn’t get the Vilas County pressure, but opener weekend is still the busiest weekend of the spring for musky anglers.

Weather. Late May in the Northwoods can be anything from 45°F and rainy to 75°F and sunny. Check the weekend weather forecast before you drive up. If it’s been warm for several days before opener, the musky will be more active. If a cold front pushes through, slow way down.

Water levels. The Flambeau River and its flowages will still be running high from snowmelt and spring rain. This is good for river musky (they spread into current seams and flooded timber) but means you need to watch for floating debris.

Where to Stay and What to Eat

If you’re coming up for opener weekend, book now. Between walleye opener, musky opener, and Memorial Day, cabins and campsites fill up fast.

Camping: Duroy Lake Campground has sites right on the water.
Cabins:
After fishing: Ripsaw Saloon in Prentice, 20 minutes from Spirit Lake. Cold beer, beef tallow fries, and a Wisconsin Old Fashioned that earns its reputation.

The Bottom Line on Musky Opener

Price County isn’t going to produce a 55-inch state record. It’s going to produce 20-30 follows per day, a legitimate shot at a 40-inch legal fish, and the kind of quiet, uncrowded musky fishing that costs $300/day per person on the Vilas County guide lakes. The opener is May 24. The musky are there. The lakes are close. The beer is cold.

We’ll see you on the water.

Frequently Asked Questions

What fish species are most popular in Price County?

Price County is known for walleye, musky, northern pike, largemouth and smallmouth bass, and trout. The Flambeau River system and over 300+ lakes provide diverse fishing opportunities throughout the county.

Do I need a Wisconsin fishing license in Price County?

Yes, anyone 16 or older needs a Wisconsin fishing license. As of 2026, an annual resident license costs $20 and a non-resident annual license costs $50. Licenses are available at GoWild.WI.gov and local bait shops.

When does fishing season open in Price County?

The general Wisconsin fishing season opens the first Saturday in May for walleye, northern pike, and bass. Musky season opens the Saturday nearest Memorial Day. Trout seasons vary by classification. Ice fishing runs from January through March.

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