Blackduck teen catches 57.75-inch muskie on Lake Bemidji, releases it

Ethan Plutko of Blackduck landed a 57.75-inch muskie on Lake Bemidji and let it go, turning a Sunday fishing trip into a catch that fits squarely into Beltrami County’s muskie lore. Plutko was on the water with Will Lien and Max Lundberg when he hooked the fish, one of the largest and most elusive species in Minnesota.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says anglers cannot keep a muskie unless it is at least 54 inches long. Plutko’s fish cleared that mark by 3.75 inches, but his decision to release it kept the catch in the catch-and-release tradition that defines much of the state’s trophy muskie fishing. It also left him just half an inch shy of the current DNR catch-and-release state record, a 58.25-inch muskellunge caught on Mille Lacs Lake on June 11, 2022 by Eric Bakke of Princeton.

For local anglers, the fish matters because Lake Bemidji is not just another stop on the map. The lake covers more than 6,000 acres and is part of a seven-lake Mississippi River chain in Beltrami County, making it one of the region’s most visible fishing waters. A muskie of that size on Bemidji instantly feeds the kind of word-of-mouth that gives the area its outdoor identity, especially when the fish comes from a Blackduck teenager fishing with friends.

The DNR describes muskies as among Minnesota’s largest and most elusive fish, often called the “fish of 10,000 casts.” The agency says muskies are native to Minnesota and are found in 102 lakes statewide, with 48 lakes stocked by the department. That management footprint helps explain why a single fish on Lake Bemidji can carry wider weight for anglers who track big-water opportunities across northern Minnesota.

Bemidji Cass Muskies Inc. has helped build that culture on both sides of the net. The local chapter says it has hosted an annual muskie tournament in the Bemidji and Cass Lake area for more than 20 years, and it offers a youth award for the largest released muskie. Plutko’s fish fits that mold: a trophy-sized catch, a release, and another entry in the region’s long-running obsession with big muskies.