A study of muskies is underway at Voyageurs National Park/USFWS file

Beavers are incredible dam builders. And those dams can affect other species in "the neighborhood." They can increase the size of a lake or, if they fail, quickly drain a lake.

At Voyageurs National Park, biologists want to know how the failure in 2001 of a beaver dam at the outlet of Shoepack Lake impacted the resident population of muskellunge, better known to most as "muskies."

While the dam failure reduced the size of the lake by almost half, there has yet to be a study to determine the fate of muskies in that lake, currently covering about 299 acres, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. That study is now underway, having started this past Saturday. It is expected to run to May 24, and resume on July 1 to run for two weeks. 

To enable this study, backcountry campsites and boating on Shoepack and Little Shoepack lakes are currently closed until May 24, and will be closed again from July 1 to July 14. Canoes and campsites on both lakes are expected to remain open for all other summer dates this year. The fishing season for muskellunge begins June 1.

Models that incorporated the reduction in lake area predicted a decrease in muskie population to a potentially unstable level. The lake level and area have recovered since then, and the effects of this reduction on the muskellunge population are still unknown. The year's studies are expected to help the National Park Service and Minnesota Department of Natural Resources assess whether current management in Shoepack Lake is adequate to maintain this unique strain of native fish.

Muskies are a species of large, relatively uncommon freshwater fish native to North America. It is related to pike. Those that reside in Shoepack Lake are considered to be a unique population with fish smaller in size than other muskie populations.