Chain Pickerel

Spinnerbaits (especially white or bright colors), buzzbaits, crankbaits, soft plastic grubs (particularly 3-inch curly tail grubs), inline spinners, and spoons in red and white color patterns. Topwater lures like Zara Spooks, Baby Torpedos, and floating Rapalas work excellently during spring and early summer.

The best time to fish for chain pickerel in Arkansas is October through March, with winter months being particularly productive as they remain active in cold water when other species slow down. During winter ice fishing periods, tip-ups with large live shiners produce trophy-sized fish.

Cast lures to open pockets in vegetation and retrieve slowly near the bottom. In summer heat, target deeper weedlines and channel edges where larger pickerel hold in cooler water. Especially effective on overcast days for fly fishing.

Primarily piscivorous, feeding heavily on centrarchids like bluegill, along with crayfish, frogs, golden shiners, and other small fish. Young pickerel feed on aquatic insects and plankton before switching to fish when they reach about 3 inches.

Native to eastern Arkansas, thriving in streams and lakes throughout the Arkansas River Valley, Delta region, and foothills of the Ouachita and Ozark Mountains.