Photo: Naturalist Observation, c. 1912.
Species

Northern Pike

A large ambush predator (Esox lucius) with a holarctic range — native across most of Canada, from Quebec and Ontario through the Prairie provinces to the Yukon and Northwest Territories, and the far northwestern corner of British Columbia. Where it is native it is a prized sport and table fish; but in the rest of BC, including the Columbia Basin, pike are a non-native invader that preys heavily on salmonids and is managed for suppression.

Key points

•
Range: native across most of Canada (holarctic); in BC, native only to the far northwest — pike in the Columbia Basin are an introduced invader (source).
•
Threat (in BC): Voracious apex predators that feed heavily on native salmonids, including westslope cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, and juvenile bull trout priority waterway profiles 2026 07.
•
Habitat: Prefer slow-moving, weedy backwaters, sloughs, and connected river floodplains. Found in the lower connected reaches of the kootenay river region 4 regulations 2025 2027.
•
Tactics: Aggressive strikers. Targeted using large, wire-leader rigs with flash streamers, spoons, or topwater walk-the-dog lures.

Fishing by region

•
Regulations, seasons, and the waters to target vary by region — in the Kootenays, see Beyond Trout in the Kootenays.

Open questions

•
The effectiveness of current suppression measures in preventing pike from establishing dominant populations in the upper wetland systems. #open

Related

•
kootenay river — threat area.
•
largemouth bass — shares warmwater habitats.
•
baitfish and fry — forage base.

Sources

•
Priority Waterway Profiles — river presence.
•
Wikipedia — Northern pike — Canadian range and invasive status.
Explore
Favourites
Journal
Profile