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Fish profile · Esocidae
Northern pike
Esox lucius
Northern pike is a large predatory freshwater fish native to northern parts of the Northern Hemisphere. It has been stocked widely for sport fishing. Introduced populations can strongly affect native fish communities.
Last reviewed 26 October 2026 · 8 sources
- Max length
- 133 cm
- IUCN
- LC
- Least Concern
- Family
- Esocidae
- order Esociformes
Category from the IUCN Red List, via GBIF (CC BY 4.0); it may lag the latest Red List assessment.
How big?
Linear scale · person 170 cm
Up to 133 cm.
How to identify
- Light spots on a darker body
- A single dorsal fin
- Cheeks fully scaled, with scales on the upper half of the gill cover
Habitat
Often stays near submerged vegetation, fallen trees and other cover.
- Diet
- Mostly smaller fish, with frogs, crayfish and other small animals taken when available.
- Native range
- Northern freshwater regions of Europe, Asia and North America.
Catching it
- Baits and lures
- Spoons
Eating
Its flesh is eaten, but fish should be thoroughly cooked: the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service notes that pike can carry a tapeworm transmissible through undercooked fish.
More photos
Sources
Last reviewed 26 October 2026