The Ohio Division of Wildlife is stocking inland lakes 20,000 muskellunge.

Muskellunge are sought-after, predatory sport fish. They don't reproduce well so the state raises them at fish hatcheries in Pike and Madison counties and then stocks the 10- to 12-inch muskies each fall at nine lakes.

The fish is the largest member of the pike family. Female muskies grow faster and live longer than males. An old fish could make it to age 12 or 15, though they're known to live much longer.

Muskies can grow several feet long, with eight of the lakes being stocked recording muskies of longer than 50 inches.

Ohio's native population is believed to date back as far as 1810. At one time, they thrived mostly in streams and rivers. By the 1950s, though, they were few and far between. It wasn't until

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