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FISH GUIDE · Freshwater

Northern pike: identification, habitat and fishing guide

Esox lucius

An ambush predator.

Catalogue names : Brochet commun. Forms and names may vary between habitats.

Editorial review : · This species guide is not permission to fish. Read the precautions below and check the current rules for your location before targeting a species. Some species or populations are protected.

Geographical distribution

Naturally circumpolar in Eurasian and northern North American fresh waters, with many European introductions. Older “pike” maps may combine several species and do not establish Esox lucius in every French drainage.

  • Native range : Northern Eurasia
  • Native range : Northern North America

Documented areas, not an exhaustive list. Presence in a region does not imply presence in every water body or permission to fish.

Distribution sources

Identification

Long body, flattened snout and a dorsal fin far back.

Habitat

Clear water, weed beds and slow-flowing areas.

Diet

Mainly fish.

Behaviour

Hunts by ambush.

Indicative biological size

30–100 cm in the Vendée guide; not a legal minimum size.

Fishing context and precautions

  1. Fit a bite-resistant leader and check hooks, snaps and knots. Prepare a suitable landing net before casting.
  2. Choose a lure that runs above or alongside the vegetation. Cast parallel to the weed edge to keep it in the target area longer.
  3. Retrieve steadily, then try a few pauses if the lure allows it. Keep control of the line during each pause.
  4. If a fish follows, change the angle or speed on the next pass. After a strike, control the fight without lifting the fish with the rod.

A distinctive feature

Its eggs stick to plants in shallow water, notably in temporarily flooded meadows.

Sources and review

Each reference includes its access date. Overall editorial review: . Local conditions and regulations may change.

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