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Biology
Age/Growth
Spawning
Diseases
Europe has historically produced many of the worlds biggest pike, although fanciful fish stories abound and should be taken with a grain of salt. This being said, there are verified records of 50 pound plus pike being caught throughout Europe and scandinavia, although there have been no such catches in a few years. The Kupa River in Croatia the Norfolk Broads in England, the Baltic Sea off of Sweden, and various lakes in Mongolia have some huge pike and have yet to receive international acclaim. These may be the next exotic locations for trophy pike hunters.
Canada
Wollaston Lake
Wollaston Lake Lodge
Wollaston Lake Lodge is one Canadas premier fly-in fishing lodges, offering first class accommodations, staff and equipment.
Simply put, when it comes to monster pike, Saskatchewans Wollaston Lake is hard to beat. Consistent catches of 50" plus specimens have made this the ultimate destination for the trophy pike hunter. Wollastons 1100 square miles are blessed with countless shallow fertile bays that fill up with big "northerns" in the spring, and supplemented with an equally impressive number of deep weedbeds that many big fish call home in the later months. These factors combined with Wollastons ideal geographical positioning, low fishing pressure and long standing catch and release policies have created the perfect pike fishery.
An increasingly popular method to catch these monster pike is with a flyrod.Minor Bay has all the gear and expertise on hand to enable you to try your hand at this exciting sport.
Minor Bay Lodge
Minor Bay Lodge is situated near the south end of Wollaston Lake and is focused primarily on pike. Numerous fly-out lakes also offer outstanding walleye and pike action. The lodge doesn't offer all the amenities of Wollaston Lake Lodge, but doesn't take a second seat when it comes to the fishing.
Lake Athabasca
This huge lake straddles the Saskatchewan/Alberta border
and encompasses about 2500 square miles. Although much of the lake is
deep and rocky, it features many river systems and shallow bays which
make for great pike habitat. Throughout the years, Athabasca has produced
many national and provincial records for both pike and lake trout.
Tazin Lake
Located just a few miles south of the North West Territories border, Tazin Lake is approximately 40 miles long and 10 to 12 miles wide. With about 20 islands, many secluded bays and beautiful shorelines, there is no end of great new fishing spots. The cold clear water offers fantastic trophy fish.
For the big ones, the best times are from mid June through July and again from the end of August to late September.
Northern pike are very aggressive and using lures or flies makes for great action. The average sizes are 4 to 15 pounds but over 20 pounders are common. Pike fishing in June to mid July is very good in the shallow bays.
In late August and into September big pike can be found next to the lake trout spawning beds. Also the submerged weed beds produce well in August and September.
With over 250 miles of shoreline, three rivers and several adjoining lakes easily accessed by short portages, the area provides excellent trophy trout and pike fishing all season long.
Tazin Lake features one lodge. Tazin Lake Lodge strongly endorses the practice of catch-and-release and the use of barbless hooks. Take measurements and lots of photos and a replica can be built of your trophy. This ensures there will be fishing for future generations.
lower Yukon River and its tributaries
While being well known for its great salmon fishing Alaska is also home to some of the worlds biggest pike. The lower reaches of the Yukon river has a number of cold, slow moving tributaries that are ideal habitat for pike and also offer a great forage base for these monster northerns. This area has produced a few pike well over 50" in the past couple of years.
Seward Peninsula
The Pilgrim and Kuzitrin rivers of the Seward Peninsula are another of Alaska's world class pike fisheries. A recent study conducted by the Alaska Department of Fisheries and Game at the forks of these two rivers, indicated high populations of large fish and a generally healthy population. These rivers have a number of slow flowing sloughs that serve as spawning and rearing areas. This area can be accessed by air or road from Nome, or by water from Teller through the Imuruk Basin.
Minto Flats
Like the other Alaskan spots mentioned, the Minto Flats
is a relatively lowland area of marsh, ponds and lakes with a number of
converging rivers. Four major rivers, the Tolovana, Chatanika, Tatalina
and Goldstream meander through the area, feeding the countless pike supporting
areas. The Minto Flats are accessible via air, ground and water, west from
Fairbanks.