Baitfish

• Northern pike enjoy baitfish such as perch, fathhead minnows, and suckers. According to Game & Fish, pike will take live or dead bait as they are known to scavenge as well as hunt.
  
  

Lures

• Game & Fish recommends 3-to 4-inch wobbling spoons and straight shaft spinners as lures to catch Northern pike.
  
  

Habitat

• Northern pike are found in lakes and rivers as well as large streams and ponds. They prefer clear, shallow water where there is vegetation growing.
  
  

Water Temperature

• Northern pike prefer colder waters, so during the summer they will swim deeper in the water while the sun is out. They return to the shallows in colder seasons and when the sun is down or low.