Overview
Lurking within our waters is a large predatory fish that hunts other large predatory fish. Meet the Northern Pike, a native fish to Ontario’s colder waters.
The Northern Pike is a long fish, reaching 75 cm in length by adulthood. It can also grow big due to its diet consisting of large and small fish alike.
Its body is a dark green with brownish fins and a long mouth area.
Did you know? The Northern Pike is not native to Toronto is was introduced back in the early 20th century as a game fish. This has caused issues of declining fish populations to occur for other species.
The Northern Pike is a popular game fish, heavily stocked within our waterbeds. Due to its sheer size, fishermen have advocated for its introduction into more bodies of water.
It is also related and often mistaken for another big freshwater fish, the Muskellunge- however that fish requires deeper waters than the perch and grows much bigger.
Habitat
The Northern Pike stays in more shallow areas in lakes and riverbeds, amongst the water weeds.
There it stalks its prey and strikes fast to gobble them up. A pike will often strike multiple times at its prey until it is unable to move- especially if the prey is bigger than it.
The Pike is equipped to survive even in colder temperatures and winter waters, which is why it’s possible to see pike swimming in Lake Ontario even in the dead of winter.
During the warmer months, Pike will try to find colder waters and will often swim upstream or deeper into lakes and rivers so that they do not get too warm.
Found On These ForestQuests
Threats
The pike itself is a threat to many fish populations and it is also a fast spawner as they spread their eggs in a large area.
Hundreds of eggs are spawned and hatching will occur two weeks after they have attached themselves to water weeds.
Conservation authorities monitor pike populations due to this behaviour to ensure they do not overtake local big fish populations.
Lake Ontario has a healthy community of Pike that call it home and the Toronto Islands is a famous spot where you can see them seeing in the canals.
Sources:
https://www.ontario.ca/page/northern-pike
https://www.fws.gov/species/northern-pike-esox-lucius
https://bcinvasives.ca/invasives/northern-pike/
https://www.alberta.ca/northern-pike
https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/species-especes/profiles-profils/northernpike-grandbrochet-eng.html
https://www.ontario.ca/page/open-fishing-seasons-and-fish-sanctuaries