Northern Pike
Esox lucius · Esocidae
Also known as: Pike, Jack, Northern
A toothy, ambush-hunting apex predator of northern waters.
- Typical size
- 1–4 kg (2–9 lb), 45–75 cm
- Max size
- Big fish exceed 9 kg (20 lb) and a metre in length.
- Water
- Freshwater
- Best season
- Spring (post-spawn) and the fall feed-up; also a prime ice-fishing target.
Identification
Elongated olive-green body with light bean-shaped spots, a duck-bill snout full of sharp teeth, and a single rear-set dorsal fin.
Habitat & Range
Weedy bays, cabbage beds, and cool lakes and slow rivers.
Circumpolar — northern North America, Europe, and Asia.
Diet & Feeding
Fish (including other pike), plus frogs, ducklings, and small mammals; a pure ambush predator.
Spawning & Reproduction
Early spring, shortly after ice-out, in flooded shallow vegetation; no nest or parental care.
How to Catch
Always use a wire or heavy fluoro leader — pike bite through light line. Work weed edges and figure-eight boatside for followers.
Best techniques
- Casting spoons & spinnerbaits
- Jerkbaits & swimbaits
- Dead-baiting
- Fly fishing (large streamers)
Lures & baits
- Large spoons
- Spinnerbaits
- Live/dead baitfish
- Big soft swimbaits
Best season: Spring (post-spawn) and the fall feed-up; also a prime ice-fishing target.