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Northern Pike

Northern Pike

Northern Pike in Iowa are elongated predatory fish with duck-bill shaped jaws embedded with many canine teeth. These aggressive carnivores are voracious feeders and opportunistic carnivores.

Physical Characteristics:
  • They typically display bluish-green to gray coloration on their backs with irregular rows of light yellow or gold spots on their sides - markings that distinguish them from muskellunge.
  • Fish typically reach 3-4 feet long and can exceed 30 pounds, with 10+ pound fish being fairly common in larger lakes and rivers.

What to know

Habitat Distribution

  • These aggressive carnivores are distributed throughout the upper two-thirds of Iowa, ranging from occasional in man-made recreational lakes to common in natural lakes and large rivers.
  • Pike prefer sluggish, heavily vegetated habitat and are numerous in the upper reaches of large interior streams like the Des Moines, Wapsipinicon, and Iowa Rivers.

Key Locations

  • Productive locations include Big Spirit Lake, East and West Okoboji Lakes, Clear Lake, Little Sioux River, Des Moines River, Spirit Lake, Coralville Reservoir, Saylorville Reservoir, and the Mississippi River pools.
  • They're especially abundant in the Mississippi River above Clinton and populations appear strong in pools 9, 10, and 11.

Specific Spots

  • Target weed lines, especially areas with turns, dense foliage, or sections jutting into deeper water.
  • Look for structure intersections like where weed lines meet rock piles, and focus on spillways below dams.

Northern Pike FAQ

Answers from onWater's species guide.

What are the best lures and bait for Northern Pike in Iowa?

Effective lures include large spinner baits, big spoons (red-and-white or red-and-yellow work well), fish-imitating lures like Rapala minnows, shallow-running plugs, jerkbaits, and bucktail spinners. The Iowa DNR recommends 'big lures with lots of flash' to entice feeding northerns.

What flies work for Northern Pike in Iowa?

Large, flashy flies including streamers, mouse imitations, and big topwater poppers. Proven fly patterns include Chip's Northern Magic, Monster Magic, Barry's Baitfish 2.0, and Lefty's Deceiver.

When is the best time to fish for Northern Pike in Iowa?

Spring (post-spawn) and fall when they move into shallows to feed. Spring offers excellent opportunities after spawning concludes, typically by April. Fall provides another prime window as pike feed aggressively before winter.

How do you catch Northern Pike in Iowa?

Use erratic retrieves like zig-zag or slash patterns to imitate injured baitfish.

What do Northern Pike eat?

As voracious feeders and opportunistic carnivores, young pike eat insects and larvae before maturing to feed mainly on fish including perch, drum, small suckers, sunfish, and even smaller northern pike. Large pike will consume small muskrats, ducklings, and shore birds.

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