Fly-in Northern Pike Fishing In Canada
Pike Paradise - Jay Siemens Trip to Munroe Lake Lodge
Northern Pike are large ambush predators—these
fish usually weigh anywhere from 2.3 - 4.6 kg (5 - 10 lbs).
They range from 28 - 76 cm (11” - 30”) in length—
though up here, you can find even larger Pike! The largest Northern Pike ever caught in Manitoba was a whopping 23 kg (50 lbs); it was 178 cm (70”) long.
Here in the rugged wilderness of Northern Manitoba, on Munroe Lake, you’ll find the Northern Lights, Bears, Caribou, Moose—and some of the best Northern Pike fishing Canada has to offer.
The lakes in our area are almost untouched by humans—there are monster Pike everywhere around here. Anglers of all stripes will have an unforgettable experience Pike fishing at Munroe Lake Lodge.
Understanding Northern Pike
We find Northern Pike fishing exhilarating. These large fish put up a heck of a fight. As ambush predators, attracting Northern Pike is a thrill. By learning to use the perfect presentation and lure action, you’ll get more than a few bites.
Northern Pike are hungry fish with sharp teeth—and they love cold water. The remote wilderness near Munroe Lake is filled with cold-water lakes and rivers. These waterways are teeming with life—the area is unspoiled by human activity. That means plenty of delicious food for Northern Pike—and plenty of incredible Northern Pike fishing for you.
Northern Pike Seasonal Patterns
One of the best things about Canadian Pike fishing is that these ambush predators are active year-round. There’s never a bad time to catch Northern Pike—you can catch trophy Northern Pike in the spring, summer, fall, and even winter. We’re not going to cover ice fishing here, but understanding Northern Pike behaviour in each season will help you bring in a trophy Northern Pike during your next fishing trip.
Spring
Spring is an excellent time for Northern Pike fishing. As the waters grow warmer, Northern Pike begin to move into shallow water to spawn. You’ll be able to fish for Northern Pike in shallow inlets and bays, as well as by the drop-offs where Northern Pike can usually be found.
You’ll also find success fishing near vegetation—that’s where Northern Pike like to lay their eggs. Combine these features, and go Northern Pike fishing in shallow bays with drop-offs featuring vegetation, and you might just catch a trophy fish!
Summertime
Northern Pike love cooler waters, and as summertime approaches, they retreat into the deeper, colder waters of Lake Munroe. At sunrise and sunset, however, they’ll swim to shallow waters to feed; the water temperature is cool enough, and the low-light conditions benefit these ambush hunters. The best way to go Northern Pike fishing in the summer is to catch them in transition between shallow and deep waters, fishing for them around dawn and dusk.
Fall
Fall may be the very best time to fish for Northern Pike—they start feeding very aggressively in preparation for the winter months. You’ll find them in both deep and shallow water—as in the summertime, they tend to be in shallow water around sunrise and sunset. As usual, you can find them near drop-offs and weed edges.
Book Your Pike Fishing Adventure at Munroe Lake Lodge
Come to our lodge for some of the best Northern Pike fishing in Canada. Catch big Northern Pike, see the Northern Lights, and enjoy the hospitality of Friendly Manitoba. Book a fishing trip with us today; it’s an unforgettable experience.
Northern Pike Gallery
Best Tackle for Northern Pike
Don’t bring a ton of lures.
Don’t bring musky-sized lures. They will work, but are too heavy for related casting, but the 2½ to 3 inch spoons noted above will do the job better.
All hooks on your fishing line must have all of the barbs pinched down. Best to pinch down the barbs of all the lures you bring prior to leaving home. Manitoba law says that the lure on your rod has to have pinched barbs, but not the ones in your tackle box. This means, you don’t have to pinch all your lures prior to arrival, in case you plan to take them somewhere else that may allow barbs.
Best Lures, Rods and Reels
Lures
Lures for the Pike did not have to be large. In fact, a moderately sized spoon, about 2 ½ to 3 inches long will be perfect. See the photo below for my favourite spoons. Classic Canadian favourites are the Five of Diamonds, Red & White, and Perch colors. Medium sized size 5 Mepps spinners also do well. Slower presentations and variable retrieve rate is the way to go.
Many people like to add a 2-3 inch white rubber twister tail to one of the tines on the treble hook of their spoon for added attraction. The same lures caught Pike and Lakers of substantial size. Over-all it is more favorable to take the treble hooks off and replace it with a single hook, which will make un-hooking all the Pike a lot quicker and more convenient. The single hook does result in a slight reduction in successful hook-ups, but we have found that the big ones take it deep into the gill rakers most times and they still get hooked up nicely with the single hook.
Len Thompson No. 1, ¾ oz, 2.75 in.
Dardevle Devle Dog ¾ oz
Fire Tiger
Johnson’s Silver Minnow, silver,
Dardevle Devle Dog ¾ oz
Five of Diamonds
3 inch curly tail grub, white
Johnson’s Silver Minnow, Five of Diamonds
Tackles
Choosing your hook, line, and leader is as important as choosing the right lure. You’ve got a few options:
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Hooks: We like to keep it simple with a treble hook. Northern Pike can be caught with hooks quite a bit smaller than you might expect—we’ve had a lot of success with #4 - #6 treble hooks, even when trophy fishing Northern Pike.
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Line: Both braid and monofilament have their advantages when you’re trying to catch a large trophy Pike. We tend to prefer braid when fishing with deadbaits, though monofilament can be great if we’re trolling. 13.6 kg (30 lbs) test braid and 6.8 kg (15 lbs) test monofilament are our standards, but you can move up or down a bit—a slightly stronger line is often a good choice in the weedier areas.
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Leader: Northern Pike can bite through just about anything so 46 cm (18”) of fluorocarbon leader is our go-to; anywhere from 27 - 36 kg (60 - 80 lbs) test should be strong enough to resist the bite of a Pike.
Rod & Reel
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Rods: We like rods in the 18 - 20 cm (7 - 8 ft) range with a medium-heavy strength. Both spinning rods and baitcasting rods work very well for all kinds of different Northern Pike fishing.
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Reels: Get a spinning reel for your spinning rod and a baitcasting reel for your baitcasting rod—we’re going to keep things simple. A drag of around 8 kg (18 lbs) will serve you well.