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Northern Pike

Esox lucius

Fish · family Esocidae · order Esociformes

  1. G1
    Critically imperiled
  2. G2
    Imperiled
  3. G3
    Vulnerable
  4. G4
    Apparently secure
  5. G5
    Secure

NatureServe global rank G5: secure[2].

Updated October 30, 2026. Published by Humblebee.

Northern Pike
Photo: Georg Mittenecker, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons.
Endangered Species Act
Not listed[1]
NatureServe global rank
G5 Secure[2]
Native in
15 states[3]
Longest recorded life
30 years[4]

The Northern Pike is a fish in the family Esocidae[5]. NatureServe ranks it Secure worldwide, and it is not listed under the US Endangered Species Act[2][1].

Conservation status

NatureServe gives the Northern Pike a global rank of G5, which it labels Secure[2]. The national rank for the United States is N5, also Secure[6]. The IUCN Red List category recorded by NatureServe is Least concern[7]. The fish is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act in USFWS data[1]. NatureServe estimates the global adult population at more than 1,000,000 individuals[8].

Status Value
Endangered Species Act[1] Not listed
NatureServe global rank[2] G5 (Secure)
NatureServe US rank[6] N5 (Secure)
IUCN Red List (via NatureServe)[7] Least concern
Total population (NatureServe estimate)[8] >1,000,000 individuals

Where Northern Pike lives

NatureServe lists the Northern Pike as native in 15 states: Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Vermont and Wisconsin[3]. It is recorded as introduced, meaning not native, in many other states, including Alaska, Colorado, Texas, Utah and Washington[9]. State lists show where NatureServe records the fish, not where you will find it.

Alaska: introduced, state rank SNAAKMaine: introduced, state rank SNAMEWisconsin: native, state rank S5WIVermont: native, state rank S4VTNew Hampshire: introduced, state rank SNANHWashington: introduced, state rank SNAWAIdaho: introduced, state rank SNAIDMontana: native, state rank SUMTNorth Dakota: native, state rank SNRNDMinnesota: native, state rank SNRMNIllinois: native, state rank S2ILMichigan: native, state rank S5MINew York: native, state rank S5NYMassachusetts: introduced, state rank SNAMAOregon: not recordedORNevada: introduced, state rank SNANVWyoming: introduced, state rank SNAWYSouth Dakota: native, state rank S5SDIowa: native, state rank S5IAIndiana: native, state rank S4INOhio: native, state rank S4OHPennsylvania: native, state rank S4PANew Jersey: introduced, state rank SNANJConnecticut: introduced, state rank SNACTRhode Island: introduced, state rank SNARICalifornia: not recordedCAUtah: introduced, state rank SNAUTColorado: introduced, state rank SNACONebraska: native, state rank S4NEMissouri: native, state rank S4MOKentucky: introduced, state rank SNAKYWest Virginia: introduced, state rank SNAWVVirginia: introduced, state rank SNAVAMaryland: introduced, state rank SNAMDDelaware: not recordedDEArizona: introduced, state rank SNAAZNew Mexico: introduced, state rank SNANMKansas: introduced, state rank SNAKSArkansas: introduced, state rank SNAARTennessee: introduced, state rank SNATNNorth Carolina: introduced, state rank SNANCSouth Carolina: not recordedSCDistrict of Columbia: introduced, state rank SNADCOklahoma: introduced, state rank SNAOKLouisiana: not recordedLAMississippi: not recordedMSAlabama: not recordedALGeorgia: introduced, state rank SNAGAHawaii: not recordedHITexas: introduced, state rank SNATXFlorida: not recordedFLPuerto Rico: not recordedPR
State presence as recorded by NatureServe[10].
Show state ranks (42 states)
StateRankMeaning
AlaskaSNANot Applicable
ArizonaSNANot Applicable
ArkansasSNANot Applicable
ColoradoSNANot Applicable
ConnecticutSNANot Applicable
District of ColumbiaSNANot Applicable
GeorgiaSNANot Applicable
IdahoSNANot Applicable
IllinoisS2Imperiled
IndianaS4Apparently Secure
IowaS5Secure
KansasSNANot Applicable
KentuckySNANot Applicable
MaineSNANot Applicable
MarylandSNANot Applicable
MassachusettsSNANot Applicable
MichiganS5Secure
MinnesotaSNRNot Ranked
MissouriS4Apparently Secure
MontanaSUUnrankable
NebraskaS4Apparently Secure
NevadaSNANot Applicable
New HampshireSNANot Applicable
New JerseySNANot Applicable
New MexicoSNANot Applicable
New YorkS5Secure
North CarolinaSNANot Applicable
North DakotaSNRNot Ranked
OhioS4Apparently Secure
OklahomaSNANot Applicable
PennsylvaniaS4Apparently Secure
Rhode IslandSNANot Applicable
South DakotaS5Secure
TennesseeSNANot Applicable
TexasSNANot Applicable
UtahSNANot Applicable
VermontS4Apparently Secure
VirginiaSNANot Applicable
WashingtonSNANot Applicable
West VirginiaSNANot Applicable
WisconsinS5Secure
WyomingSNANot Applicable

Habitat

NatureServe records the Northern Pike in marshes, creeks, and medium and big rivers, and in shallow water[11]. It usually lives in clear small lakes and in shallow plant-filled parts of larger lakes[12]. In summer it moves to deeper, cooler water[12]. It spawns in shallow flooded areas with plants poking above the water, and the young stay there for several weeks after hatching[12].

Habitat types recorded by NatureServe[11]

Size, diet and lifespan

Young pike first eat large zooplankton and young water insects, and after 7 to 10 days fish start to enter the diet[13]. Adults feed on vertebrates small enough to be engulfed, and they hunt by sight[13]. NatureServe records adult food habits as carnivore, fish eater and invertebrate eater[14]. The typical length recorded by NatureServe is 133 cm (52 in)[15]. The longest recorded lifespan in the wild is 30 years, and that is a record, not a typical lifespan[4]. Eggs hatch in 12 to 14 days, and females reach maturity at 2 to 3 years in southern fish but only at age 6 in northern ones[16].

Trait Value
Typical length[15] 133 cm (52 in)
Longest recorded lifespan (AnAge)[4] 30 years (wild)
Female maturity[17] 1,116 days (about 3.1 years)
Food habits[14] Carnivore, Piscivore, Invertivore
Migration[18] non-migrant, local migrant

When to look for it

The Northern Pike is active by day[19]. It stays active and feeds in winter under ice[20]. It spawns in spring, as soon as the ice begins to break up[16]. NatureServe lists it as a non-migrant or local migrant, and populations can differ[18]. Some fish may move between spawning and other habitats[21]. Observation records on GBIF peak in June, July and August, but records show when people look and report, not how many fish there are[22].

January: 126 recordsJanFebruary: 84 recordsFebMarch: 120 recordsMarApril: 320 recordsAprMay: 537 recordsMayJune: 910 recordsJunJuly: 1,219 recordsJulAugust: 1,038 recordsAugSeptember: 621 recordsSepOctober: 328 recordsOctNovember: 95 recordsNovDecember: 608 recordsDec
US observation records on GBIF by month, all years. The three months with the most records are highlighted. Records show when people look and report, not how many animals there are[22].
Show records by month
MonthRecords
January126
February84
March120
April320
May537
June910
July1,219
August1,038
September621
October328
November95
December608

Where to see it

National Park Service species lists record Northern Pike as present in 29 park units[23]. Present means the park has a confirmed record, not that sightings are common.

And 5 more park units.

States with the most GBIF observation records: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Michigan, New Jersey[24]. These counts follow where people look and report, not population size.

Questions people ask

Is the Northern Pike endangered?
It is not listed under the US Endangered Species Act[1]. NatureServe ranks it G5, which it labels Secure, and it is not listed under the US Endangered Species Act[2][1].
Where does the Northern Pike live in the US?
It is native in 15 states, including Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and New York[3]. It has also been introduced in many other states, including Alaska, Texas and Washington[9].
What does the Northern Pike eat?
Young pike eat zooplankton and young water insects, and then mostly fish[13]. Adults feed on vertebrates small enough to be engulfed[13].
How big does a Northern Pike get?
The typical length recorded by NatureServe is 133 cm (52 in)[15].
How long does a Northern Pike live?
The longest recorded lifespan in the wild is 30 years[4]. That is a record, not a typical lifespan.

Facts and sources

  1. Northern Pike is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act in USFWS ECOS data (checked 2026-10-30). USFWS ECOS
  2. NatureServe global conservation status rank for Northern Pike: G5 (Secure). NatureServe Explorer
  3. NatureServe lists Northern Pike as native in 15 US states and territories: Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Vermont, Wisconsin. NatureServe Explorer
  4. Maximum recorded lifespan in AnAge: 30 years in the wild. This is a record, not a typical lifespan. AnAge
  5. Northern Pike (Esox lucius) is a fish in the family Esocidae, order Esociformes. NatureServe Explorer
  6. NatureServe national rank in the United States: N5 (Secure). NatureServe Explorer
  7. IUCN Red List category as recorded by NatureServe: Least concern. NatureServe Explorer
  8. NatureServe estimate of total adult population (global, as a range): >1,000,000 individuals. NatureServe Explorer
  9. NatureServe lists Northern Pike as introduced (not native) in: Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New... NatureServe Explorer
  10. NatureServe state ranks for Northern Pike (map and table on this page). NatureServe Explorer
  11. Habitat types NatureServe records for Northern Pike: Herbaceous wetland, Scrub-shrub wetland, Big river, Medium river, Creek, Low gradient, Pool, Shallow water. NatureServe Explorer
  12. NatureServe notes on habitat for Northern Pike. NatureServe Explorer
  13. NatureServe notes on food for Northern Pike. NatureServe Explorer
  14. Adult food habits recorded by NatureServe: Carnivore, Piscivore, Invertivore. NatureServe Explorer
  15. Typical length recorded by NatureServe: 133 cm (52 in). NatureServe Explorer
  16. NatureServe notes on reproduction for Northern Pike. NatureServe Explorer
  17. Age at female sexual maturity in AnAge: 1,116 days (about 3.1 years). AnAge
  18. NatureServe migration category for Northern Pike: non-migrant, local migrant (populations can differ). NatureServe Explorer
  19. Adult activity patterns recorded by NatureServe: Diurnal. NatureServe Explorer
  20. NatureServe notes on phenology for Northern Pike. NatureServe Explorer
  21. NatureServe notes on migration for Northern Pike. NatureServe Explorer
  22. GBIF observation records of Northern Pike in the US by month (chart on this page). GBIF
  23. NPSpecies park lists recording Northern Pike as present (list on this page). NPS NPSpecies
  24. US states with the most GBIF observation records of Northern Pike: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Michigan, New Jersey. Record counts follow observer effort, not population size. GBIF

Status, range and habitat come from NatureServe Explorer (CC BY 4.0) and USFWS ECOS at the snapshot date. Listings change by federal rule. State lists are where NatureServe records the species, not a promise that you will see it there. Never name a place smaller than a state. GBIF and park records count observations and checklists. They show where and when people report the species, not how many animals live there.

NatureServe. 2026. NatureServe Explorer [web application]. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available https://explorer.natureserve.org. (Accessed: October 30, 2026). Licensed under CC BY 4.0; SpeciesFacts selected and summarized it.

Photo: Georg Mittenecker, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons.