Northern pike are the apex predators of the ice fishing world — aggressive, toothy, powerful, and available in extraordinary numbers in shallow northern lakes where their metabolism slows only slightly in the coldest winter water. A large pike crashing through the ice after a large shiner on a tip-up is one of the most electrifying moments in winter fishing. Pike average 3–8 pounds in most ice-fishing lakes, but fish over 15 pounds are encountered regularly and the occasional 20+ pound trophy is the obsession that keeps dedicated ice pike anglers drilling holes every January.
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Pike Under the Ice — Key Behavior
Pike remain active throughout winter, particularly in the first month of ice season (early ice) when water temperatures haven’t yet dropped to their coldest. Unlike walleye (which concentrate on deeper structure in midwinter), pike favor shallow weed flats in 4–12 feet of water throughout most of the ice season, ambushing prey from cover near the last remaining green vegetation. Pike feed aggressively and aren’t particularly line-shy — heavy (17–25 lb) fluorocarbon or a short wire leader is recommended due to their razor-sharp teeth.
Best Ice Fishing Techniques for Pike
Tip-Ups with Large Live Bait
Tip-ups are the dominant ice pike technique. Rig a Frabill or HT Enterprises tip-up with 40 lb Dacron or monofilament backing, a 12-inch wire bite leader (or 20 lb single-strand), and a size 4–6 treble hook through the back of a 5–8 inch sucker, golden shiner, or cisco. Set the bait 6–18 inches off the bottom in 5–10 feet of water over or adjacent to green weeds. When the flag flies, give the pike 5–10 seconds to turn the bait before setting the hook — pike swallow head-first and initially run with the bait perpendicular in their mouths.
Jigging Large Spoons
Large jigging spoons and swimbaits (4–6 inch) worked aggressively produce pike actively and allow you to cover water quickly. A 1 oz Dardevle, large Jigging Rapala, or 4″ soft plastic swimbait on a 3/4 oz jig head worked with aggressive 18-inch lifts and free falls covers the water column and triggers reaction strikes from nearby fish. This is the fastest way to locate pike — once a fish is caught, drill a cluster of holes and deploy tip-ups around the active area.
Best Pike Ice Fishing Lakes
- Lake of the Woods, MN/Canada: Exceptional pike alongside the famous walleye and sauger fishery. Fish over 20 pounds are caught every season.
- Leech Lake, MN: Consistently produces large pike with a well-established guide infrastructure.
- Upper Red Lake, MN: Trophy pike in the shallower southern portion of this two-basin lake.
- Lake Champlain, VT/NY: Excellent pike fishing in the shallow Missisquoi Bay and other Vermont bays.
- St. Lawrence River, NY: The river and connected bays produce exceptional pike through the ice alongside the famous walleye fishery.
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