Musky decline is the topic of this Article in the Sawyer County Record on February 2, 2017. At the Sawyer County Fisheries Forum on Jan. 25, DNR fishery manager Max Wolter said Lac Courte Oreilles was “once a world-class musky fishing destination.” The article goes on to say, "The musky size potential is still world-class, but the current numbers of muskies on the 5,139-acre lake are very low, probably less than 300 adults compared to the historical average of 1,000 adults." The reasons for decreasing musky include very low natural reproduction rates, very little stocking success, decline of suitable spawning habitat, and a documented 27 percent more phosphorus from agriculture and human development. Article also includes proposed ideas for addressing the problem as well as mention of COLA’s involvement.