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Northern Pike

Northern Pike

Northern Pike are among Minnesota's largest and most widely distributed freshwater predators, found in nearly every lake and river throughout the state - over 3,351 waters covering approximately 2. 17 million acres.

Scientific Name: Esox lucius

Physical Characteristics:
  • These torpedo-shaped predators are characterized by their elongated, muscular bodies with greenish coloration on top and sides, white undersides, and distinctive duck-billed snouts lined with hundreds of razor-sharp, backward-slanting teeth.
  • In Minnesota, pike typically range from 2-15 pounds and average 2-5 pounds, though they can exceed four feet in length.
  • The state record is 45 pounds, 12 ounces from Basswood Lake in 1929.

What to know

Habitat Distribution

  • Found in nearly every lake and river throughout the state - over 3,351 waters covering approximately 2.17 million acres.
  • They inhabit areas with aquatic vegetation in quiet, slow-moving water.
  • Regional differences exist: northeast Minnesota has lower numbers but larger average sizes, north-central areas have very abundant populations (perhaps too common), and southern Minnesota pike are less abundant but grow quickly.

Key Locations

  • Productive waters include Lake Winnibigoshish (especially cabbage beds where Mississippi River enters), Basswood Lake in the BWCAW, Lake Vermilion, Cass Lake (bulrush beds in Allen's and Dick's Bays), Lake Minnetonka, Mississippi River backwaters, Crane Lake, Lake of the Woods, and Vermilion Lake.

Specific Spots

  • Target pike in 2-15 feet of water around weedbeds (cabbage patches), bulrush bed edges, rocky points, and other structure where they ambush prey.
  • In rivers, target scoured holes, sunken timber, weedy backwaters, and eddies.

Northern Pike FAQ

Answers from onWater's species guide.

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

Top lures include larger plugs and spoons, 8-inch jointed perch-pattern crankbaits, spinnerbaits (particularly white versions with plastic trailers).

What flies work for Northern Pike in Minnesota?

Streamers 5-7 inches long, including patterns like Chip's Northern Magic, Monster Magic, Poor Man's Whistler, Clouser Minnows, and Woolly Buggers.

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

Northern pike season opens mid-May and runs through mid-February, coinciding with walleye season.

How do you catch Northern Pike in Minnesota?

8-inch jointed perch-pattern crankbaits being especially effective when retrieved slowly after long casts. Spinnerbaits work excellently, particularly white versions with plastic trailers burned over weedtops.

What do Northern Pike eat?

Pike are voracious lie-in-wait predators that consume anything up to a third of their body length, with adults showing particular fondness for 4-15 inch suckers and yellow perch, plus ducks, mice, frogs, snakes, crayfish, and other fish including smaller pike.

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