Chain Pickerel
Esox niger
American Pickerel
Esox americanus
About
The American pickerel is a slim fish that hides and waits to ambush its prey. It lives in fresh water and is often seen as the smaller, quieter cousin of the northern pike.
Also known as: redfin pickerel
How to tell it apart
It is easy to mix up with its bigger, fiercer relative, the northern pike. But the American pickerel stays much smaller and thinner at every age.
Appearance
Dark bands cross its sides, broken up by lighter gaps. Fin colour varies. Some fish have fins with dark front edges and an amber to dusky tone. Others have orange to red fins.
Habitat
This fish lives in slow water full of plants, such as pools, lakes, and wetlands. It is found across eastern and central North America, from Canada down to the Gulf Coast.
Did you know?
Anglers mostly chase its bigger cousins, the northern pike and muskellunge. But one classic fishing guide picks out the American pickerel as a fun catch on light tackle, calling it small but fierce - a fish most anglers skip.
Log it in Into the Blue
Describe what you saw and we name it, then keep every species you find in your Oceandex.
