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The Giant Muskie, National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame

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1979–1993, Jerry Vettrus. 1 Hall of Fame Dr.
  • (National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame)
  • (Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division)
  • (Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division)

Anglers have long recognized the Northwoods as a haven for sport fishing, but many a motorist along WI 27 has done a double take at this Giant Muskie and its surrounding collection of monumental fish. The Giant Muskie, or muskellunge, is 145 feet long and four-and-a-half-stories tall. Its innards house a “Shrine to Anglers” with world freshwater-fishing records. The Muskie, made of fiberglass, reinforced with concrete and steel, appears to leap in the air as it shows jagged teeth in its gaping mouth. The jaw accommodates about twenty visitors on an observation platform. From this vantage point, sightseers can view enormous replicas of walleye, bluegill, coho salmon, smallmouth and largemouth bass, rainbow trout, and perch. Vettrus, owner and sculptor for Fiberglass Animals, Shapes, and Trademarks Corporation (FAST) of Sparta, constructed the Giant Muskie in 1979. That same year, he installed the giant walleye, and over time he added many more to the “Sea of Fishes.” Vettrus has created giant roadside creatures around the nation, including the Jolly Green Giant in Blue Earth, Minnesota, and the Killer Bee in Hidalgo, Texas. He considers the Giant Muskie his masterwork.

Writing Credits

Author: 
Marsha Weisiger et al.
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Data

What's Nearby

Wismo Club

Citation

Marsha Weisiger et al., "The Giant Muskie, National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame", [Hayward, Wisconsin], SAH Archipedia, eds. Gabrielle Esperdy and Karen Kingsley, Charlottesville: UVaP, 2012—, http://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/WI-01-SY1.

Print Source

Buildings of Wisconsin

Buildings of Wisconsin, Marsha Weisiger and contributors. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2017, 308-309.

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