Photo by Tim Lesmeister

Fisheries management personnel of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources are working to improve sportfishing for northern pike. Pike are one of our most popular, abundant and cooperative game fish, but improving the pike fishing statewide is not a simple job because northerns inhabit a wide variety of lakes and rivers. This diversity means each type of water must be managed with a different strategy.

As a rule, when you are looking for powerful pike waters, you select the large, cool and deep lakes with plenty of large forage fish such as suckers and ciscoes. Generally these waters have steep shorelines and few marshy areas for the pike to use for spawning. As a result, the overall pike population is low, even though the northerns might grow to 10 pounds or more.

The lakes you want to avoid when looking for big pike are the "snake" or "hammerhandle" lakes. These are common in northern Wisconsin and are usually small, shallow and weedy. They're known for producing panfish, bass and small pike. The northerns simply don't grow large enough, or fast enough, to interest the serious pike angler. DNR management and manipulation can do little to help these lakes.

Many of our lakes fall between these two habitat extremes. They provide quality pike fishing opportunities, and many of our best northern pike lakes are connected to river systems. Keep in mind that today's fishing regulations are complex, and make sure you check the regulations booklet for specific size and bag limits before you fish any lake or river. Regulations are free at DNR Service Centers or you can download them at www.dnr.wi.gov. Signs are posted at lake and river access points with any special regulations for that specific waterway.

LAKE MENDOTA
Located in Dane County, Lake Mendota is one of Wisconsin's most popular trophy-pike lakes. It's the largest lake in the five-lake Madison Chain, with 9,842 acres and a maximum depth of 82 feet. The DNR set a 40-inch minimum length limit on northerns in Mendota. It is one of four lakes in our state with this size limit. This means catching a 20- to 25-pound pike is a possibility. The bag limit is one fish per day. The 40-inch size limit also applies to the portions of Sixmile Creek, Pheasant Branch Creek and the Yahara River, as well as Cherokee Lake and Warner Park Lagoons. Check the regulations for specific boundaries.

Lake Mendota is managed intensively for northern pike and walleyes. The current restrictive pike size limit took effect in 1998. According to DNR fisheries personnel, all the Madison-area lakes have good pike fishing, but Lake Mendota offers anglers the best chance to catch a 40-inch or better northern in the Madison area, but most of the big fish will run 30 to 39 inches. Due to habitat loss and fishing pressure, natural reproduction cannot sustain the pike population in the Madison Chain. The DNR stocks pike in Mendota, Monona, Waubesa and Kegonsa, either yearly or every other year.

There are many good boat ramps on Lake Mendota to provide access. The fishing can be good throughout the open-water season, but fall is the best time to catch Mendota's trophy pike. In fall the large northerns become active and move into the shallows when the water cools. Recreational boating traffic ends and angling pressure decreases in the fall, too.

If you fish Lake Mendota during summer, try to concentrate on the weekdays when the pleasure boat traffic is lighter than on weekends. Pike like cool water. In the heat of summer they will go deep, especially at midday, so don't be afraid to fish in deep water, 20 feet or more, if necessary.

For information on travel and lodging in the Madison area, contact the Greater Madison Convention & Visitors Bureau at 1-800-373-6376 or log on to their Web site at www.visitmadison.com.