Northern pike might just be the most underappreciated of Pennsylvania’s game fish. Often as not, pike are caught by mistake by bass anglers, or even seen as a nuisance by those fishing for muskellunge.
That’s a shame, because northern pike are beautiful fish, ferocious fighters, and capable of reaching sizes in excess of 30 pounds.
Fish of that stature are rare in Pennsylvania—rare anywhere, really—but anglers in the Keystone State have an honest shot at northerns topping 15 pounds. A pike that size will give anyone a run for their money.
Northern pike inhabit lakes, ponds, marshes and slow-moving streams all over Pennsylvania. The greatest concentration of quality pike lakes is in the western part of the state, but these fish are fairly widely distributed.
Fishing for pike is permitted year-round in Pennsylvania, with a daily limit of two fish and a minimum length limit of 24 inches.
Pike are highly efficient predators, and they eat a wide range of smaller fish species.
They’re attracted to flash and vibrant colors, which is why the most effective baits for catching them tend to be aggressive lures like spinners, spoons and brightly-colored crankbaits.
Medium tackle and 10- to 15-pound test line are appropriate for pike fishing (their toothy jaws make short work of lighter lines).
Some anglers favor steel leaders while fishing for pike, while others feel that these leaders detract from the action of their lures.
Look for pike in and around aquatic vegetation. Smaller pike prefer water temperatures ranging from around 65 to 72 degrees, but you’ll usually find bigger fish in cooler water. Research suggests that the bigger pike get, the less tolerant they are of hot conditions.
Pennsylvania marks roughly the southern limit of the northern pike’s natural range in the United States. Below the Mason-Dixon Line, they become increasingly rare, but the PA lakes listed here offer outstanding pike fishing opportunities.
Allegheny Reservoir
Also known as Kinzua, the Allegheny Reservoir is a massive impoundment on the Allegheny River that straddles the line between New York and Pennsylvania.
It’s given up some truly gargantuan pike over the years, including PA’s 35-pound state record in 2003.
There’s no place in the state that produces bigger pike, and although record-caliber giants are exceedingly rare, this is almost certainly the PA lake where you’re most likely to set your hooks into a 20-pounder.
Most fish run smaller, of course. Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission gill netting surveys have found pike in the 22- to 28-inch range to be particularly abundant here. But you never know when a true giant might take the bait.
Rocky points and steep shoreline drop-offs dominate Allegheny Reservoir, and the best pike fishing tends to be in the bays and backwaters. Aside from the spawning season, when pike will be in shallow water, trolling is usually the best bet.
Big pike are often caught during August and September on the reservoir. Local anglers troll between 5 and 25 feet of water using multiple lines. Steep drop-offs make it possible to troll vastly different depths within a small area.
Use your electronics to identify schooling baitfish, and troll with live minnows or minnow imitations just outside the school.
Casting with stickbaits and spinners is also effective, and some huge pike are hauled through the ice every winter using live suckers and chubs beneath tip-ups.
There are also a lot of pike in the stretch of the Allegheny River downstream from the Kinzua Dam outflow. Look for river pike in slackwater areas away from strong current, especially around grass beds and tributary mouths.
Allegheny Reservoir and portions of the river below the dam are located within Allegheny National Forest, which provides numerous points of access.
Conneaut Lake
Though a fairly modest-sized lake at 925 acres, Conneaut Lake has the distinction of being the largest natural lake in Pennsylvania. It’s also a prolific pike lake, albeit one that’s better known for numbers than size.
Typical pike in this lake range from 20 to 30 inches, but there are bigger fish here too, including the possibility of a 15-pounder.
Conneaut Lake is nestled in the northwesternmost corner of Pennsylvania. Although its shoreline is highly developed, making bank fishing access scarce, the absence of horsepower restrictions make it a great place to fish from a boat.
Milfoil, coontail and various pondweeds grow prolifically throughout the summer in Conneaut Lake, forming vast submerged jungles that provide perfect ambush points for pike. Fishing along the edges of weed beds is highly effective in all seasons.
Try a skirted bass jig tipped with a soft plastic trailer along weed lines around 10 feet deep, or run a lipless crank over the tops of the weeds in areas where they stop 2 or 3 feet below the surface.
Some big fish are caught in summer, but the best season to target pike on Conneaut Lake is almost certainly fall.
Northern pike—especially big ones—aren’t comfortable at temperatures above the mid-60s. As the lake cools back down in September, big pike feed more heavily and return to shallower areas.
Conneaut Lake stratifies in summer and experiences a turnover event in October. The mixing of cold and warm waters throws the lake into disarray for a couple of weeks, but once it passes, there’s great pike fishing well into November.
Lake access is available at Fireman’s Beach. A fee is required to use the boat launch facilities, but kayaks and other small craft can be hand-launched free of charge.
Conneaut Lake offers anglers several angling options besides pike, including some of the best crappie fishing in Pennsylvania.
Presque Isle Bay (Lake Erie)
Spanning 5.8 square miles, Presque Isle Bay is a large, shallow embayment connected to Lake Erie. It’s one of the best fishing spots in Pennsylvania for a wide range of species, including northern pike.
Presque Isle Bay is an outstanding early-season pike fishery.
With its shallow waters and dark, muddy bottom, the bay warms up much, much faster than the main body of Lake Erie in springtime. It’s one of the first places where fish wake up out of their winter doldrums.
There’s great fishing through the ice in winter too, but many local anglers await the period in late March or early April right after ice-out. It’s often chilly enough that you’ll have to clear ice out of your rod’s guides, but pike will almost certainly be active in the bay.
Look for them in any place where green vegetation has persisted through the winter.
The shallow, weedy marshes and ponds toward the northwestern end of the Presque Isle Bay offer some of the finest spring pike action, including the chance to tangle with trophy fish.
Of course, if bearing the bitter cold of early spring on the Lake Erie shoreline isn’t for you, there’s still a chance to catch pike in Presque Isle Bay once things warm up a bit. Some pike stay here year-round.
The deepest part of Presque Isle Bay is the channel that connects it to the main lake. If you’re here in summer, this is a good area to try. The best summer pike bite is right at the crack of dawn.
Live baitfish like creek chubs and suckers are the most successful bait, especially in winter and early spring, though a lipless crankbaits is often an effective alternative if choosing an artificial lure.
You’ll find boat launch facilities and ample bank access at Presque Isle State Park.
The fishing here also is great for largemouth bass and smallmouth bass fishing, and mixed catches of any of these aggressive predatory fish is possible.
More: Complete Guide to Presque Isle Bay Fishing
High Point Lake
Contrary to a common misconception, High Point Lake is not the highest-elevation lake in Pennsylvania. It is, however, located a stone’s throw from Mount Baker, the highest point in the state, and spitting distance from the Maryland State Line.
High Point Lake is also a prolific pike lake. A man-made impoundment of 338 acres, High Point Lake is mostly known for its largemouth bass fishing. Anglers who tarket pike are likely to catch some of each.
There’s trophy pike potential here, and northerns approaching the 40-inch mark are occasionally brought to the boat. That said, you can expect many fish to be right around the 24-inch ‘keeper’ size.
Along with shallow stump fields and numerous shoreline laydowns, High Point Lake has an abundance of aquatic vegetation. Most pike are caught between 6 and 12 feet of water along weed edges.
There’s solid pike action here in every season, though summer is probably the hardest time to find quality fish.
It’s a small lake, and it warms significantly. That sends the biggest pike (and make no mistake, there are some big ones here) into shut-down mode during the dog days of summer.
There’s a great fall bite though. Lures with some flash, including spinnerbaits and in-line spinners, do well in High Point Lake’s stained waters.
This is also known as one of Southern Pennsylvania’s best ice fishing lakes. Live minnows account for many big pike brought up through the ice in February.
High Point Lake is state-owned, and is managed entirely as a public fishing lake.
There’s a state boat launch on the southern shore. Boats are limited to electric trolling motors and non-powered craft, making this a quiet lake where you can really get away from crowds.
Sugar Lake
An often-overlooked lake in Northwestern Pennsylvania, 90-acre Sugar Lake is a diverse warm water fishery that supports, among other things, a healthy and self-sustaining northern pike population.
Electrofishing and trap net surveys by the PA Fish & Boat Commission turned up several hefty pike despite not taking place during the ideal season, and bass anglers routinely find toothy northerns latched onto their spinnerbaits.
Sugar Lake is a natural lake with no dam. The waters tend to be slightly to moderately stained, and there’s plenty of healthy weed growth. Brightly-colored spinners, spoons and jerkbaits commonly tempt pike along the edges of weed lines.
This lake offers a solid shot at catching a pike in the 10- to 15-pound range. These fish spawn every April in marshy areas near Sugar Lake’s inlet stream, and some of the biggest individuals are caught immediately following the spawn.
In addition to northern pike, Sugar Lake is also a broodstock lake for muskellunge, and fishing for both species is strictly catch and release from April 1 through May 31.
Chain pickerel have also been introduced illegally into Sugar Lake, and often strike the same lures pike do.
The state boat ramp on the southwestern shore of Sugar Lake just off Lakeview Lane offers the only public bank fishing access on the lake. This is a great place to fish from a kayak or other small craft, and motorized craft are limited to 10 hp or less.
Honorable Mentions
The following lakes aren’t always as good as the top five listed above, but these waters offer a fair shot at catching northern pike in Pennsylvania.
Glendale Lake
This 1,635-acre lake in Prince Gallitzin State Park in Western Pennsylvania offers a variety of gamefish species, including some nice northern pike.
Anglers will chase both pike and muskies with larger lures, and pike also will smash bass lures at times.
Ice fishing for pike can be good as well.
Yellow Creek Lake
In a state park with the same name, Yellow Creek Lake offers anglers an opportunity to catch northern pike a little over an hour east of Pittsburgh.
The 720-acre reservoir is known for pretty good numbers of pike but not necessarily trophy-sized fish.
Try fishing in the shallows around cover.
Lake Arthur
This Western Pennsylvania angler’s destination north of Pittsburgh offers a wide range of fish to catch, including some nice pike.
This is a good-sized lake at over 3,200 acres and the popular Moraine State Park, which is a good starting point for a day of fishing.
The lake is better known for bass, crappie and muskies, but cast or troll some larger lures around and you just might find a rather large pike on your hook.
Lake Arthur is also one of the best ice-fishing lakes in Pennsylvania, and pike are one of the more active species in cold water.
More: Complete Guide to Lake Arthur Fishing
Quemahoning Reservoir
Surveys here have turned up good numbers of northern pike, though a fair number were smaller fish along with some over the 30-inch mark.
This 900-acre impoundment is in Somerset County, east of Boswell. You’ll find access at the Quemahoning Family Recreation Area on the northwest side of the reservoir.
Focus your pike fishing on shallow areas, especially around weed beds. Large spinners and crankbaits are good lure choices.
Howard Eaton Reservoir
This smallish water supply reservoir east of Erie and a stone’s throw from the Western New York border can produce plenty of northern pike thanks to great spawning success, but it simply doesn’t grow the largest pike in Pennsylvania.
However, if you don’t mind catching pike under the 24-inch limit, there is some fun to be had (and the occasional larger fish).
Walleye and smallmouth bass also may attack your more moderately-sized pike lures at Howard Eaton.
Boat launches are located at either end.
Lake Marburg
Most of Pennsylvania’s most productive pike lakes are in the western part of the state, but Lake Marburg offers you at least a shot at catching a big pike in eastern PA. Codorus State Park completely encircles this 1,275-acre reservoir.
While Lake Marburg is often listed among the best northern pike fishing lakes in other publications, local experts have told us that your odds are a little long here.
Some anglers fish all day for pike and muskies only to give up and fish for bass. And that’s usually when these toothy giants decide to strike!
Pike fishing is best when the water is still on the cold side, or even through the ice in the coves.
The state park provides numerous access points on Lake Marburg, including several boat ramps. The main ramp, located just east of the productive Cattail Cove and Marburg Flats, is a great place to start.
Acknowledgment
We would like to thank avid Pennsylvania angler Adam Sherman for helping us make this article more accurate and complete.