Muskrat reports in Ohio gather most strongly in spring. They rise through March and April, crest in May, then fall sharply in June. The much smaller September and October totals show that this isn’t a broad warm-season plateau. Ice, vegetation, water levels, and observer effort can all change how easily muskrats are recorded.
Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge and Mentor Marsh put the clearest habitat emphasis on Lake Erie wetlands. Killdeer Plains Wildlife Area adds inland marshes and managed water. The three locations point toward shallow-water landscapes in different parts of northern Ohio, but sparse reports elsewhere shouldn’t be read as proof of absence.
Full species profile
