NORTHERN PIKE (Esox lucius)

The Northern Pike have picked up a variety of nicknames over the last hundred years. Some of our favorites are: Hammer Handles, Slew Sharks, Jackfish, Perch Killers, and Water Dragons.

Description: The Northern Pike is a long slender, but strong fish, with razor sharp, backward-slanting teeth, a large duck-like jaw, and a long flat head. The Pike’s back and sides are most often dark green to olive-green, with spots that can be white to yellow in colour. Pike have a small gold spot on the tip of most of it’s scales which give it the appearance of being covered in gold fleck

Size: Pike in Alberta can grow to an amazing 50lbs and reach more than three feet in length. The average size for Northern Pike in Alberta is in the area of 8 to 15 pounds. The Alberta record for Northern Pike is 38lbs 0.0 oz.

Habitat: The northern is found in most areas of Alberta, except in the foothills and mountains. Pike prefer to live in shallow clear waters that hold a significant amount of underwater vegetation. Pike can be found in Lakes, Reservoirs, Rivers, and slow moving streams. You will find Pike wherever you find a good concentration of feeder fish like perch and whitefish.

Diet: Pike will eat just about anything that moves. They are a voracious predator and will feed on large numbers of fish when hungry. Pike are not finicky eaters however and will often eat insects, frogs, mice, young muskrats, and ducklings. Anything that is in the way of a Pike when it’s hungry could end up being the water dragon’s next meal. Watch your toes !

Angling Techniques: When the pike are biting just about anything in your tacklebox will work. Try using large shallow running lures, yellow or chartreuse jigs, large red & white or red and yellow spoons, and plugs in the colour of local forage fish. Pike can also be taken on bait rigs with minnows, smelts, sardines or herring. The pike will usually hit hard and head for home so hang on !

Pike Hot Spots: Lake Newell, Badger Reservoir, Lake McGregor, Pigeon Lake