Canada or US DIY northern pike on the fly.....

[peter odell]

Its getting cold out, so thinking about next year!  Anyone have a great recommendation for northern pike - could be lake and or river, in the US north, or canada.  Key would be affordable hotels and easy fly in access.  Lake wth boat rental would be idea.

Any thoughts appreciated...

[Rob Snowhite]

I have very little input on this matter. However the one thing I have learned from interviewing Pike anglers is 'Look for glitter piles' 

When northerns are hiding in the shallows for a while they will poop out fish scales that pile up below them and sparkle which gives away the location of the fish. That was my one takeaway from talking to a guide. 

Rob Snowhite

Fly Fishing Consultant Podcast on Itunes 

On Thursday, November 13, 2025, 09:17:43 AM EST, peter odell <peter...@gmail.com> wrote:

Its getting cold out, so thinking about next year!  Anyone have a great recommendation for northern pike - could be lake and or river, in the US north, or canada.  Key would be affordable hotels and easy fly in access.  Lake wth boat rental would be idea.

Any thoughts appreciated...

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[Tom Somers]

My very biased opinion is the best pike (probably the best freshwater) fly fishing in the lower US is in Michigan. Pike are great, and so are the other options swimming around.

Lake St. Clair is most well-known. It is cheap to fly and stay,  you can rent boats (several marinas, check out Middle Channel Marina...they have lunds), and lots of information is available. The river is also loaded and you can fish from the bank in many places.

2nd choice is Houghton Lake, about where your middle finger meets the palm on your right hand. Easy drive from Detroit, Grand Rapids or Traverse. Cheap to stay and multiple places with boat rentals. Plus, you are close to world class fishing...the Au Sable is less than an hour, the Manistee about an hour, blah, blah...   

Check out Michigan DNR and look for pike and special regulations...a few size limits for a handful of places and 5 fish everywhere else. There are pike everywhere.

Again, super-biased. Pics from NW Michigan in October with brother-in-law. 

[peter odell]

Great info.  Thank you.  Is the toothy guy a trout?  

[Tom Somers]

Salmon, lost several, held a few. Trout are all around...except the lower river sections where salmon and steelies eat them.

[HermanyorFlorida]

There's a stable northern pike population in Lake Frederick near Front Royal.  People posting on the FB page for the bait shop there catch a few year including a couple of the pier.  I've even seen one caught myself in person.  They seem to be present and catchable but not super abundant.  I took a couple DIY shots on sinking line out of my kayak with no luck 9-10 years ago.  

We can meet at Beer Tie in the future if you're interested in putting a trip together.  I also saw some at Motts Run Reservoir near Fredricksburg, the state record is from there, but that was literal decades ago.