Northern pike, also known simply as pike, are one of the most popular big-game fish in North America. Anglers, young and old, of all experience levels can not only enjoy targeting pike but also become quite proficient at it in no time. You do not need much expensive specialty gear. You do not need to travel far, as they are found throughout the northern United States and Canada. Chances are, your local lake or pond holds pike. What you do need is a little knowledge. At the top of the list would be knowing the best time to fish for pike.

¯ Best time to fish for northern pike

To be honest, there is no bad time to fish for pike. Because their main reasons for striking your bait or lure are either aggression or hunger, and they are angry and hungry almost 24/7, it is possible to target pike any time you can find them. In fact, many anglers specifically target deep-lake trophies in mid-summer or heat up their winter action by taking northerns through the ice. But this is not to say there are not better times to fish for pike, especially bigger trophy fish.

Without a doubt, the best time to fish for pike is mid to late spring, usually May if fishing in southern Canada and maybe a few weeks earlier in the northern United States. Why this time of year? Although pike have been hunting and feeding all winter long, the pickings have been slim, so they are hungry. Plus, they have just finished spawning and are still recuperating from the increased stress this involves. In other words, they are even hungrier. Finally, they can be easier to locate. Most of the weed cover has yet to reach peak height, so cover and ambush sites are limited. Depending on where you are fishing, there is also a good chance they have not been targeted for several months. Almost any lure will fool them and entice a strike — if it looks like a meal, they will take a taste.

¯ Best time of day to fish for pike

Pike can be caught any time of day if you adjust your approach accordingly. Although it may be easier to find and catch pike at certain times of the day, they are almost a 24-hour species. Pike in the morning — early morning, just before the sun rises — is a nearly perfect time to catch big, hungry pike. This is one of the rare times when pike are more likely to be actively hunting rather than sitting in ambush. When hunting, pike will most likely be found cruising shallows, even in the open, in search of their first meal of the day. Top waters, spinners and other open-water lures will have better success, and you will not worry about being snagged by the weeds pike usually use for cover. Once you have apike crash a topwater, you will be the one hooked — hooked on fishing for these toothy monsters.

As the day progresses — and the sun beats on the water surface — temperatures will rise, which means pike activity will drop off significantly. Pike will move from the open-water shallows into deeper water to avoid the heat, then into weed beds to take up an ambush position. While this will make pike hard to catch, it does not mean they are impossible to catch. Trolling spoons and spinners through the weed beds, or deep-diving stick baits in 25 feet or more of water, will often provoke an attack, even in the heat of a late summer afternoon.

Nighttime pike fishing is a combination of those conditions encountered during the early morning and afternoon. As the sun sets and the temperature drops, they will start to emerge from cover and go on the prowl. As you saw early this morning, this dinner-hunting will take pike into open-water shallows in search of baitfish. The same techniques you used earlier will be effective again. However, as the sun continues to set and evening approaches, the water will darken, and the pike will again slow. The exception would be nights when you experience a full or near full moon, as the increased light will extend the normal evening hunt and make it easier for the pike to see your bait or lure.

¯ Best weather and temperatures for pike fishing

Best weather is often worst fishing – while bright sunny bluebird days may be the most enjoyable time to be on the water, they are not necessarily the best for filling a creel. We already mentioned how pike slow down during the heat of the day, with afternoon being the least desirable time to target them. Bright sunny days usually mean warmer temperatures sooner in the day, thus limiting your window when pike will be active. The bright sunny conditions will also impact visibility, often making it harder for you to see the pike and easier for the pike to see you and your lure. This means it’s more difficult to precisely target fish laid up in weed beds, as they can detect you and scrutinize your offerings.

Good means bad and ugly. Cloud cover, an increase in wind, some small wave action, and even a light rain may not seem like the best time to hit the lake, but that is exactly what you are looking for if targeting big northerns. Although the reasons are not fully understood, it is well documented that as conditions toughen, especially ahead of a cold front, pike move into shallow open water. More importantly, they are on the hunt. Target weed edges for pike moving out of cover and nearby open water for those already on the hunt. In late summer, when temperatures are highest, do not forget to troll approaches from deep water hideouts to the shallow hunting grounds.

Good luck and good fishing.