Species › North America · Freshwater › Chain Pickerel

Freshwater

Chain Pickerel

Esox niger · Pickerel, Jackfish, Chainsides

Water temp
57–72°F
Peak season
Oct–Feb
Best light
Daytime
IGFA record
9 lb 6 oz (4.25 kg)
Chain Pickerel (Esox niger (S0331) (12598761723).jpg)

Photo: Smithsonian Environmental Research Center · CC BY 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons

OverviewWhere & WhenHow to CatchGearRegulationsRecordsForecastCatches

Overview

Chain pickerel are long, olive-green fish with a dark chain-link pattern along the sides, a duckbill snout, a dark vertical bar below the eye and fully scaled cheeks and gill covers, which separates them from northern pike. Most run 15–22 inches and 1–3 lb; a 5 lb fish is a trophy anywhere. They are native to the Atlantic slope from Nova Scotia to Florida and the Gulf drainages west to Texas, and have been introduced across the Northeast and into some western waters.

Pickerel hold motionless in weed beds, lily pads and timber in shallow, slow water, then explode on minnows, frogs, crayfish and even small pickerel that pass within range. They stay active in cold water and are one of the most dependable ice-fishing species in the Northeast. Their eagerness to hit lures, abundance in small waters and tolerance of warm, weedy ponds make them a favorite of shore anglers and kayakers, and a frequent surprise for bass fishermen.

Typical size1–3 lb (0.5–1.4 kg); 15–22 in
Trophy5 lb+; 7 lb+ is exceptional
Table fareGood — white, flaky meat, but full of Y-bones; pickle or score fillets

How to catch

Inline spinners and spinnerbaitsCast a size 2–3 inline spinner or a 1/4–3/8 oz spinnerbait along weed edges, lily pads and drop-offs and retrieve steadily, speeding up when a fish follows. Pickerel hit moving flash from behind, so keep the lure coming until it is at the rod tip.
Weedless soft plasticsRig a 4–5 inch fluke or paddle-tail weedless and twitch it through pads and grass with pauses. Pickerel often slash at a paused bait, so give it a second before setting the hook.
Live shiners under a floatHook a 3–4 inch shiner through the lips on a size 1 hook under a slip bobber and drift it along weed lines or set it near a hole in the pads. Works in all seasons and is the standard ice-fishing approach on tip-ups.
Ice fishing with tip-upsSet tip-ups baited with live shiners 1–2 feet above weed tops in 4–10 feet of water near shore. Pickerel bite all day under the ice, and a jigging rod with a small spoon in a second hole picks up extra fish.

Gear

Rod6'6"–7' medium spinning, fast action
Reel2500 spinning
Line10–15 lb braid with a 20–30 lb fluorocarbon leader

Lures

Inline spinnersSpinnerbaitsWeedless soft-plastic jerkbaitsSmall spoonsFloating minnow plugs

Baits

Live shinersMinnowsNightcrawlers

Regulations

A freshwater fishing license is required. Many states have no size or bag limit on pickerel, while others set a minimum length and a daily limit, and some waters are managed for trophy pickerel; check your state regulations.

Records

IGFA all-tackle world record: 9 lb 6 oz (4.25 kg) — Guest Millpond, Homerville, Georgia, 1961 (Baxley McQuaig Jr.). State and regional records are kept by each fish & wildlife agency.

Frequently asked

How do you tell a chain pickerel from a northern pike?

A pickerel has a chain-like pattern of dark lines on a lighter green side and fully scaled cheeks and gill covers; a northern pike has light bean-shaped spots on a darker body and no scales on the lower half of the gill cover. Pickerel also have a dark teardrop bar below the eye and rarely exceed 30 inches.

Can you eat chain pickerel?

Yes, the meat is white, firm and mild, but the fillets carry a row of Y-bones like a pike. Either learn the five-fillet method to cut around them, score the fillets and fry so the small bones soften, or pickle the fish, which dissolves the bones entirely.

Bite forecast — Chain Pickerel

Recent catches

Posted by anglers on the live map, filtered to Chain Pickerel.

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