Northern Pike (Esox lucius)

Description: Non-native. Introduced in 1965. Back and sides, dusky olive-green with rows of light oval spots. Dorsal, anal and tail fin have round to oblong darkened spots. Dorsal fin located far back on an elongated body. Large canine-like teeth. Cheeks completely scaled, only upper half of the gill cover is scaled. Length: 12 to 47 inches. Weight: 8 ounces to 24 pounds. Location and Habitat: Found in Lake Mary, Mormon Lake, Stoneman Lake, and Long Lake, south of Flagstaff. Prefer shallow water and areas congested with aquatic weeds. Spawn just after ice thaws; Adhesive eggs simply scattered over the bottom or onto vegetation. Food: Fish make up the bulk of their diet but they will also take frogs, crayfish, waterdogs, ducks, birds, and mice. Angling: Effective lures and bait for pike are "LARGE" spoons, spinners, plugs or waterdogs. Fishing with minnows is unlawful in Lake Mary, Morman Lake, Stoneman Lake and Long Lake. Northern pike have sharp teeth, so many anglers use a wire leader to prevent the line from being cut. Table Quality: The meat is white, firm, flaky and has good flavor, but each fillet has a row of Y-bones. By cutting around the bones they can be removed.