Northern pike

Identification

• Northern pike show light spots on a darker body: green or blue-gray above with many roundish yellow spots on the sides.[1]
  What the source says

  “The overall color pattern consists of light spots against a darker background. The upper parts are green or blue gray, with numerous roundish yellow spots on the sides.”

• The cheek is fully scaled but the gill cover only on its upper half, and there are 5 sensory pores along each side of the lower jaw.[1]
  What the source says

  “Northern pike is distinguished from other pike by having the cheek fully scaled, but the gill cover scaled only on the upper half, and in having a row of 5 sensory pores along each side of the lower jaw.”

• Minnesota DNR's foolproof test: count the pores under one side of the jaw. A muskie has six or more; a northern pike has five or fewer.[2]
  What the source says

  “The foolproof way to tell a muskie from a northern pike is to count the pores on one side of the underside of the jaw. A muskie has six or more. A northern has five or fewer.”

Habitat and range

• Pike avoid strong currents and prefer water with dense vegetation, in lakes, reservoirs, large streams, borrow pits and ditches.[1]
  What the source says

  “Occurs in a variety of habitats, including lakes, reservoirs, and large streams as well as borrow pits and drainage ditches. It avoids strong currents and prefers waters with dense vegetation.”

• The native range runs from Labrador to Alaska and south to Pennsylvania, Missouri and Nebraska.[3]
  What the source says

  “Native Range: Atlantic, Arctic, Pacific, Great Lakes, and Mississippi River basins from Labrador to Alaska and south to Pennsylvania, Missouri, and Nebraska (Page and Burr 1991).”

Life history

• Pike spawn in early spring in marshes or other shallow edge water, scattering eggs over submerged plants with no further care.[1]
  What the source says

  “Spawning is in early spring, after the pike have moved into marshes or other shallow, marginal waters. The eggs are broadcast over submerged vegetation and receive no more attention.”

Status, protections and rules

Legal status and rules as the agency stated them on the date read. Rules change: check the current regulations for the water.

• Alaska Department of Fish and Game classes northern pike as an invasive species in Southcentral Alaska.[4]
  What the source says

  “For this reason, in Southcentral, the northern pike is an invasive species.”

• In Alaska, moving live fish, including pike, from one water to another is illegal: a Class A misdemeanor with a $10,000 penalty (ADF&G).[4]
  What the source says

  “You certainly cannot take fish, including pike, from one waterway and "seed" them into another. It is illegal (Class A misdemeanor with a $10,000 penalty) and can cause major problems.”

• Washington (WDFW) classes northern pike as a prohibited aquatic invasive species; keeping or moving live pike is illegal there.[5]
  What the source says

  “Northern pike are a prohibited species everywhere they exist in Washington. It is illegal to retain or transport live pike in our state.”

• WDFW asks anglers who catch a pike in a new area to kill it at once rather than release it, photograph it, and report it.[5]
  What the source says

  “If anglers catch northern pike in new areas, WDFW asks that they kill the pike immediately and do not release it, take a photo, and report it by calling 1-888-WDFW-AIS, email at ais@dfw.wa.gov”

Fishing for it: what the agencies say

What agencies and extension services say about catching it, with the source for each line.

• Michigan DNR notes pike take large minnows and many artificial lures, and many anglers recommend wire leaders because of the sharp teeth.[6]
  What the source says

  “Pike can be taken on live bait (primarily large minnows) and all manner of artificial lures, either by trolling or casting. Large diving or topwater plugs, spoons — the red and white Dardevle is a classic — and spinners all produce. Because of the pike's sharp teeth, many anglers recommend the use of wire leaders.”

Where to fish for northern pike

Our 22 water pages whose agency species list names northern pike (each list links to the agency page it comes from). A species missing from a list does not mean it is absent: many agencies publish no list for a water.

Destination hubs

Hubs that list one of these waters, or that a water page is near: each has guides, shops, licences and trip planning for the area.

• Missoula, Montana3 northern pike waters
• Bozeman & Livingston, Montana2 northern pike waters
• Baldwin & the Pere Marquette, Michigan1 northern pike water
• Ennis & the Madison Valley, Montana1 northern pike water

Keep exploring

• MuskellungeSpecies
• Largemouth bassSpecies
• All speciesIndex

Sources

Every fact on this page is our paraphrase of the page cited beside it, read on the date shown. Rules and seasons change: check the agency's current regulations before you fish.

1. Northern Pike | Missouri Department of Conservation Missouri Department of Conservation, read Oct 24, 2026.
2. Muskellunge | Minnesota DNR Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, read Oct 24, 2026.
3. Northern Pike (Esox lucius) - Species Profile U.S. Geological Survey, Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Program, read Oct 24, 2026.
4. Invasive Northern Pike, Alaska Department of Fish and Game Alaska Department of Fish and Game, read Oct 24, 2026.
5. Northern pike | Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, read Oct 24, 2026.
6. Northern pike Michigan Department of Natural Resources, read Oct 24, 2026.