Northern Pike Fishing

Northern Pike are one of the most common fish in Northwestern Ontario. They are found in almost every lake and they are easy to catch because they attack everything that moves. Wabigoon Lake is no exception. Even with our high Muskie population, Northern Pike still flourish and are one of the dominant fish species in the lake.

Many of our guests like to catch small Pike, as that's the best for eating. A small Pike, eaten fresh, can be compared to Walleye. Most of our guests who come for Northern Pike are not satisfied catching small eaters; they want their picture taken with a trophy. Wabigoon Lake and adjoining lakes have over 50,000 acres of prime Northern Pike habitat. We have many weedy bays, rocky points, sunken weed beds, islands and shoals, which are all prime Northern Pike areas. Many of these areas are where small streams run into the lake. At the mouth of these streams you will find Cabbage Weed, Wild Rice, Lily Pads and Bulrushes (Cattails). These are the plants that create perfect Pike habitat. Perfect habitat combined with the warm nutrient water of Wabigoon Lake means our Northern Pike grow big and grow fast.

Pike are common in the 2 to 12-pound range. Many guests catch and release Pike all summer in the 15 to 20-pound range. On occasion, Pike as big as 25-pounds get caught but they are rare and only a couple of guests each year run into a monster Pike like that.

If Northern Pike fishing is an important part of your fishing vacation, you will not be disappointed if you choose Wabigoon Lake.

Northern Pike Fishing Tips

Northern Pike hit everything and anything. They are the easiest fish to catch. Here are a couple of tips to maximize the amount of strikes and some ideas for really big trophy Pike.

Time of Year

In many Northern Ontario lakes Northern Pike will be shallow in the spring and summer and then start to go deep in mid-August. This is not an issue in Wabigoon Lake. Pike seem to stay shallow all year. In late summer and fall on Wabigoon Lake, the big trophy Pike will be really shallow in the 1 to 3-foot depth.

Lures

Traditionally the best lures and probably the most popular lures are the Red-&-White Daredevil and the Yellow 5-of-Diamonds Daredevil. You use the red in clear water and the yellow in murky water. Spinnerbaits, Crankbaits, Bucktails and Williams Weedless Spoons also work well. When using a Daredevil, try casting up high and just before the lure hits the water, jerk it towards you so the lure slaps the surface. This slap sound seems to trigger a better feeding response from bigger Pike. Pike are also well known for hitting surface lures. Jitterbugs and Spooks are excellent for Pike. A growing trend in Pike fishing, which is getting very popular, is fly-fishing for Pike. With large Pike flies, you can trop the fly in an opening in the middle of thick weeds, which would not be practical for normal lures.

Where are the pike?

Pike can be found everywhere. You will find them in the thick weeds or off shoals and even in the streams that run into the lake. Big Trophy Pike generally stay in areas where they can ambush Walleyes, Bass and small Pike. Below is a list of prime spots for big trophy Northern Pike:

  • Points leading into weedy bays
  • Along Wild Rice beds where there are lots of Walleyes
  • Stream or river mouth
  • In the thick cabbage weed or other big leaf weeds
  • Under lily Pads
  • Narrows between lakes or open water where Walleyes migrate
  • Drop offs close to thick shallow weeds
  • Shoals or rocky points where the bass and Walleye hang out is a good spot. If the Walleyes or bass stop feeding, it may mean a big Pike has started to feed. This is when you switch to something big and flashy.