Find Your Next Spot
Chain pickerel
Esox nigerLesueur, 1818
Identification
Slender and pike-like with a distinctive dark, chain-link pattern across a lighter green-gold body.
Where It's Found
Weedy lakes, ponds, and slow streams throughout the eastern U.S., often the top predator in smaller waters without pike or bass.
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Fishing Notes
Aggressive and willing to strike small spinnerbaits and soft plastics — a great light-tackle target, though its teeth call for a short wire or heavy fluorocarbon leader.
Scientific Classification▾
Family
Esocidae
Genus
Esox
Order
Salmoniformes
Class
Actinopterygii
Phylum
Chordata
Kingdom
Animalia
Ready to go fishing?
Find a boat ramp near you and check state fishing regulations before you head out.
Photography sourced from Wikimedia Commons contributors.