Northern pike can be found in almost all the states in the U.S. although they are not native to most of them. However there is very little argument that for the avid pike anglers some states offer much better opportunities for catching a trophy sized fish than others. The chances of finding a pike of any size in Georgia isn’t very good at all, but if you’re trolling through the lakes of northern Minnesota then your chances of landing a monster northern pike go up by quite a bit. There is a lot to be said about location and the largest northern pike in the United States are normally found in environments where they live naturally. This includes states with a lot of flow from the Mississippi River Basin (Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wisconsin, etc) or states that border Canada. In the U.S. a trophy pike could be anything over 20 lbs and further north in Canada 30 lb trophy pike are even possible.
As of 2o1o, the only states that don’t officially have northern pike are Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, South Carolina, and Florida. Because of its reputation as a fierce fighter and the excellent meat, northern pike have been stocked in many other states. In some cases this was intentional. Some states have a natural environment that can support a major predatory fish like the pike, and they were sometimes brought into lakes to obliterate populations of shad, carp, or other non native “junk fish” that were killing off the lake’s ecosystem. In many other places, the stocking was done without official permission and these fish are considered an invasive species in some states, or some sections of states. One odd example would be Alaska, where in many places northern pike are natural inhabitants, but many other lakes had these fish introduced and in those bodies of water they can be invasive, absolutely demolishing populations of lake trout and grayling.
If you’re staying in the states and want to find the best possible trophy fishing out there for pike, then you will want to take a look at Minnesota northern pike fishing, since many of the largest northern pike you can find in the United States are going to be found in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Even if you don’t find that nearly 30 pound monster fish, you still will be in the right area to stop in and see the Minnesota Fishing Hall of Fame or to have a great day catching a series of 5 to 15 pound northern pike for an incredibly impressive stringer of fish.
There are so many different ways to attract pike fish and many different fishing techniques which can be used to hook and land one. Whether you are a fan of crank baits, spinners, or other methods – the aggressive pike are often happy to oblige by slamming into the lure. This is part of the reason that northern pike fishing tips from one blog to another or one site to another can differ. Just because one person likes the crank baits doesn’t make the spinners wrong.
When you are angling for pike there are many options to take and you can choose any of these in your constant cross country pursuit for that trophy northern pike.