Are There Muskies in Alum Creek? Alum Creek Muskie Fishing Guide

Alum Creek is rich in muskies and other fish that makes it a dynamite spot to hook a monster fish this fall, and Ohio anglers know the fact that fish like bass, Saugeye, and Muskie are the main target there.

This fact entices anglers from different areas to visit Alum Creek in their next fishing trip to give it a shot and maybe catch their next trophy musky there, but others are still asking whether they’ll find muskies in the first place or they’ll be returning empty-handed.

Are there muskies in Alum Creek? Yes, there are Muskies in Alum Creek. DNR has been stocking muskies in Alum Creek since 1994 and they grew a healthy population there. Even if the number is currently dropping and they’re not as easily found as before, you can still catch one.

Read on to know more about Alum Creek Muskie fishing and how to make your experience there a successful one.

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Muskies in Alum Creek – Can You Find them?

An image of Alum creek to illustrate the alum creek muskie fishing guide principles, laws, and tips

Local anglers and muskie experts assure that muskies can be found in Alum Creek even after their number dropped. DNR is still stocking muskies in Alum Creek and Alum lake which guarantees you’ll find one there if you know what you’re doing.

Many anglers confirmed that they have caught many trophy muskies with a 34-to-37 inch (86-to-93 cm) range. The key is to choose the right spots, techniques, gear, and time.

All of which I’ll give you tips on how to get them right from the first time.

Are there Muskies in Alum Creek Lake?

Alum Creek Lake has the fastest growth rate for muskellunge ever recorded in Ohio. This could be due to the high population of crappie, shads, bluegill that muskies feed heavily on.

Your chances to catch muskie in Alum Creek Lake is high if you target them around the fall, it’s their prime time of feeding which makes them more vulnerable to bait whether it’s artificial or live bait.

In fall, the water temperature allows Muskie to leave their deep weed beds and return to shallow waters, where they’ll be heavily feeding and putting some weight before winter.

To double your chances to find muskies in Alum Creek Lake, make sure to target early mornings and late afternoons of the fall season.

The heightened sense of sight allows muskies to see well in reduced light conditions associated with early mornings and late afternoons. These are the prime time for muskies to be found feeding around the water surface, later into the day they move deeper where the water is colder and darker.

Alum Creek Muskie Fishing Hotspots

After picking the best time of the day and prime weather conditions to catch muskies in Alum Creek, you need to go for the hotspots that raise your chances to catch a trophy Muskie.

These are the top 5 hotspots for Muskie fishing in Alum Creek, especially around early fall:

North of the Cheshire Road bridge: 5-to-12 feet (1.5-to-3.5 meters) of water on the shallow flats near the dam.
Spillway below the dam: around the long deep flats
Schools of baitfish: shad, carp, and suckers schools. Mostly shad schools will have a higher probability. You can find them in the creek upstream wading when the suckers are there spawning.
Public beach: the area directly across from the public beach is an excellent fishing spot in late summer.
The lower basin between the Cheshire Road causeway and the dam is also a great specific spot for catching muskies.

If you had no luck fishing in these exact spots, you can still look around any thick weeds, shallow reefs, flooded timber, and jagged rocks.

You don’t need sonar machines to spot muskies in Alum Creek, but you’ll have to be able to locate the deepest possible spot, whether you’re on water or onshore.

For better chances, make sure to pick the spot according to the part of the day you’re fishing in, here are some tips:

Morning and afternoon: you’ll find muskies almost anywhere, they roam free in low water temperature.
Sunny midday: muskies are found near weeds drop-offs seeking shade, or in deeper water near the current.
Night: muskies are found around the surface and shallow parts.

What You’ll Need to Catch Musky in Alum Creek

Picking the right spots and times is vital in successfully catching muskies in Alum Creek, so is picking the right gear.

So how to catch a Muskie in a creek? To catch muskies in a creek you need:

8-to-6 feet (2.5-to-1.8 meters) medium-heavy rod.
Good quality reels. We recommend Tranx.
Big swimbaits, bull shad, bucktails, or jointed crankbaits.
Drifter musky net.

You can check my full guide on how to catch muskies in creeks here, I discuss the methods, tools, and tricks in more detail there.

If you’re overwhelmed with the variety of lures options to choose from, remember that muskies are known to be visual predators.

They rely heavily on their sense of sight to move and feed, so it’s best to choose visually-attractive lures. You can learn how to make your own homemade lures here if you are looking to save some money and have some creative freedom as well.

Visual lures work best whether it’s colorful or simply live and moving.

That’s why live baits are your go-to when you’re fishing in a small area such as creeks, it’s easier to be seen and caught. Bluegill will be your best choice in Alum Creek as they’re naturally spawning there and muskies can’t resist chasing them. Check out my guide on using Bluegill to catch Muskies here.

If you can’t get live baits, artificial ones work too if you ensure that they’re attractive enough to catch their eyes.

Things like bull shad, cisco, bucktails with big silver spinners, suckers, and jointed crankbaits have proven to be successful in catching muskies in Alum Creek.

Whatever bait you’re using, you have to pay close attention to how you tackle them. Here are a few tips on how you can get it right from the first try:

Be slow and steady.
Walk slowly if you’re fishing onshore. Note that fishing onshore in Alum Creek is a tough experience.
Stay very quiet if you’re fishing on a kayak. Noise might spook muskies.
When you pull back, do it with long, slow pulls and frequent pauses.
Pull hard in the opposite direction of the way the fish swims.
Keep the rod tip low and to the side.
Use the “figure 8” technique to keep enticing muskies before you take your lures out of water. Watch this video to learn how to properly use it for amazing results.

Pro Tip

To determine the right speed you should be moving in, not to be too slow or too fast, remember that the ideal speed is about half as fast as the bubbles moving on the surface.

Always be ready with a good quality Muskie net to get a good grip of a muskie before you unhook it. There are huge varieties out there and you can choose what best suits you, and I recommend you check out this YVLEEN folding fishing net from Amazon. It’s very affordable and quite strong with solid construction that will make it last for a while.