What lures work for Chain Pickerel?

Spinnerbait, a spinner in white, red, and yellow: Cast around thick vegetation and ambush cover with a slow, erratic retrieve; vary speed if fish follow. Jerkbait, a crankbait: Worked with a slow, erratic retrieve along weed edges; pickerel often chew through soft plastics. Weedless spoon, a spoon in silver and gold: Fished with pork or plastic dressing through vegetation and lily pads where treble-hook lures would foul. Texas-rigged plastic worm or jig, a jig: Worked slowly through milfoil, coontail, and pondweed beds; effective in Vermont waters year-round. Ice jig or jigging spoon, a jig: Through the ice in 5 to 15 feet of water near remaining weed beds, tipped with a minnow, minnow head, or spikes.

What bait works for Chain Pickerel?

Live minnow under a float: 3 to 4 inch live minnow hooked under the dorsal fin, suspended off bottom under a bobber or float. Tip-up minnow (ice fishing): Live minnow fished on a tip-up, 1 to 3 feet off bottom near remaining weed beds under the ice.

Where do Chain Pickerel hold?

Spring: 2 to 10 ft. In shallow, weedy cover 2 to 10 feet deep such as milfoil, coontail, pondweed, or lily pads, where pickerel ambush prey. Summer: 2 to 10 ft. Same shallow, weed-oriented pattern continues through summer, 2 to 10 feet deep. Fall: 2 to 10 ft. Same 2 to 10 foot weedy pattern holds into fall before fish shift deeper as vegetation dies back. Winter: 5 to 15 ft. Under the ice, fish 5 to 15 feet deep around any remaining weed beds.

How big do Chain Pickerel get?

The New York record is 8 lb. 1 oz. from Toronto Reservoir, Sullivan Co. in 1965. The Virginia record is 7 lbs. 10 oz. from Lake Shawnee in 1996.

Chain Pickerel fishing

Chain Pickerel fishing uses a Spinnerbait or a Live minnow under a float on 8 to 12 lb line and a 5.5 to 7 foot medium or medium-light spinning, spincasting, or baitcasting rod, at dawn, day, and dusk. Chain pickerel do not appear in any state's stocking data this site tracks.

Esox niger. Green to golden-green sides marked by dark, interconnected chain-like lines, the source of its name.

By Nicolas Sartor · Last verified September 23, 2026

Common questions

What lures work for Chain Pickerel?: Spinnerbait, a spinner in white, red, and yellow: Cast around thick vegetation and ambush cover with a slow, erratic retrieve; vary speed if fish follow. Jerkbait, a crankbait: Worked with a slow, erratic retrieve along weed edges; pickerel often chew through soft plastics. Weedless spoon, a spoon in silver and gold: Fished with pork or plastic dressing through vegetation and lily pads where treble-hook lures would foul. Texas-rigged plastic worm or jig, a jig: Worked slowly through milfoil, coontail, and pondweed beds; effective in Vermont waters year-round. Ice jig or jigging spoon, a jig: Through the ice in 5 to 15 feet of water near remaining weed beds, tipped with a minnow, minnow head, or spikes.
What bait works for Chain Pickerel?: Live minnow under a float: 3 to 4 inch live minnow hooked under the dorsal fin, suspended off bottom under a bobber or float. Tip-up minnow (ice fishing): Live minnow fished on a tip-up, 1 to 3 feet off bottom near remaining weed beds under the ice.
Where do Chain Pickerel hold?: Spring: 2 to 10 ft. In shallow, weedy cover 2 to 10 feet deep such as milfoil, coontail, pondweed, or lily pads, where pickerel ambush prey. Summer: 2 to 10 ft. Same shallow, weed-oriented pattern continues through summer, 2 to 10 feet deep. Fall: 2 to 10 ft. Same 2 to 10 foot weedy pattern holds into fall before fish shift deeper as vegetation dies back. Winter: 5 to 15 ft. Under the ice, fish 5 to 15 feet deep around any remaining weed beds.
How big do Chain Pickerel get?: The New York record is 8 lb. 1 oz. from Toronto Reservoir, Sullivan Co. in 1965. The Virginia record is 7 lbs. 10 oz. from Lake Shawnee in 1996.

Identification

Green to golden-green sides marked by dark, interconnected chain-like lines, the source of its name.
A distinct dark vertical bar runs straight down under the eye.
Belongs to the same family as northern pike but has fully scaled gill covers and cheeks, and its fins lack pike's light spots.
Elongated jaws packed with sharp, needle-like teeth and a large dorsal fin set far back near the forked tail.
Typically 15 to 20 inches and 1 to 2 lbs; trophy fish exceed 25 inches and 8 to 9 lbs.

Sources: dec.ny.gov, accessed September 23, 2026 , vtfishandwildlife.com, accessed September 23, 2026 , maine.gov, accessed September 23, 2026 , nas.er.usgs.gov, accessed September 23, 2026

Depth by season

Season	Depth	Note
Spring	2–10 ft	In shallow, weedy cover 2 to 10 feet deep such as milfoil, coontail, pondweed, or lily pads, where pickerel ambush prey.
Summer	2–10 ft	Same shallow, weed-oriented pattern continues through summer, 2 to 10 feet deep.
Fall	2–10 ft	Same 2 to 10 foot weedy pattern holds into fall before fish shift deeper as vegetation dies back.
Winter	5–15 ft	Under the ice, fish 5 to 15 feet deep around any remaining weed beds.

Sources: dec.ny.gov, accessed September 23, 2026

Active times

dawn
day
dusk

Sources: dec.ny.gov, accessed September 23, 2026

Top lures

Spinnerbait (spinner , white/red/yellow): Cast around thick vegetation and ambush cover with a slow, erratic retrieve; vary speed if fish follow.
Jerkbait (crankbait ): Worked with a slow, erratic retrieve along weed edges; pickerel often chew through soft plastics.
Weedless spoon (spoon , silver/gold): Fished with pork or plastic dressing through vegetation and lily pads where treble-hook lures would foul.
Texas-rigged plastic worm or jig (jig ): Worked slowly through milfoil, coontail, and pondweed beds; effective in Vermont waters year-round.
Ice jig or jigging spoon (jig ): Through the ice in 5 to 15 feet of water near remaining weed beds, tipped with a minnow, minnow head, or spikes.

Sources: dec.ny.gov, accessed September 23, 2026 , vtfishandwildlife.com, accessed September 23, 2026 , 1source.basspro.com, accessed September 23, 2026

Top baits

Live minnow under a float: 3 to 4 inch live minnow hooked under the dorsal fin, suspended off bottom under a bobber or float.
Tip-up minnow (ice fishing): Live minnow fished on a tip-up, 1 to 3 feet off bottom near remaining weed beds under the ice.

Sources: dec.ny.gov, accessed September 23, 2026

Line & tackle

Line: 8–12 lb
Rod power: 5.5 to 7 foot medium or medium-light spinning, spincasting, or baitcasting rod
Hook sizes: Size 1-2 hooks for live minnow rigs, fine wire preferred so it bends free if snagged

Sources: dec.ny.gov, accessed September 23, 2026 , 1source.basspro.com, accessed September 23, 2026

Stocked behavior

Chain pickerel do not appear in any state's stocking data this site tracks. Pennsylvania's Fish and Boat Commission, one of the few agencies that manages the species at all, describes populations as self-sustaining and maintained mainly through natural reproduction, stocking only a handful of waters each year from wild-caught brood fish.

Sources: pa.gov, accessed September 23, 2026

Common mistakes

Skipping a wire or heavy fluorocarbon leader; a pickerel's sharp teeth can slice straight through light line.
Retrieving at one constant speed; NY DEC says to change speed, action, or lure if a pickerel follows without striking.
Unhooking a pickerel bare-handed; long-nose pliers, hemostats, and a jaw spreader avoid the hooking injuries anglers commonly report.

Sources: dec.ny.gov, accessed September 23, 2026

State records

State	Weight	Angler	Water	Year
New York	8 lb. 1 oz.	John Bosland	Toronto Reservoir, Sullivan Co.	1965
Virginia	7 lbs. 10 oz.	R. L. White	Lake Shawnee	1996

Sources: New York's official record page , Virginia's official record page .

Where it's stocked

No stocking events recorded for Chain Pickerel yet.