Northern pike

Quick facts

Adult size

75 cm, 5000 g typical harvest weight

Days to harvest

540 to 1095 days from fingerling

Lifespan (max)

up to 25 years

Diet

carnivore

Temperature class

cool-water

Difficulty

advanced

Water parameters

Temperature range

2–24°C (optimum 18°C)

pH

6 to 8.5

Hardness

5 to 25 dGH

Minimum tank

2000 L per individual at harvest size

Feed and growth

Feed protein

45% target

Daily feed (warm water)

1.50% of body weight per day

Daily feed (cool water)

0.50% of body weight per day

Max stocking density

20 g per litre of system water

A 5000g adult eats about 75.0 g of feed per day at optimum temperature. For a roster of 10 fish at adult size, that's around 750 g of feed daily.

Habitat and origin

Native to freshwater lakes and rivers across the entire northern hemisphere: North America (from Alaska through Canada to the upper United States), Europe (from Britain to Siberia), and northern Asia. The species (Esox lucius) is one of the most widely distributed freshwater fish in the world. Northern pike are apex freshwater predators that ambush prey from concealment in weedy, shallow water. Adults reach 1–1.5 m and 25 kg, though most are 2–8 kg. The flesh is white, firm, and well-flavored but notoriously bony: Y-shaped intramuscular bones make filleting difficult and limit commercial market appeal in North America (though pike is a prized food fish in much of Europe, particularly in Scandinavia and Central Europe).

Climate and outdoor ponds

Climate classification

temperate (handles seasonal swings)

Outdoor pond zones (USDA)

3 to 8 (winter low around -40°C or warmer)

Heating in a temperate climate

Not required (handles seasonal cool periods)

Cooling in a temperate climate

Not required

Zone bounds reflect year-round outdoor pond viability with no active heating. Anywhere outside the bounded zone, the species can still be kept in an indoor heated tank or a seasonally-managed system. Verify your specific microclimate, as a sheltered yard zone can run a half-zone warmer than the regional rating.

Care notes

A predatory cold-water species with very limited aquaponics applicability, included for completeness. Pike are obligate piscivores that eat other fish almost exclusively and resist training to accept pelleted feed in most culture settings. Growing pike requires a continuous supply of live feeder fish (minnows, small perch, or stunted sunfish), which is expensive, labor-intensive, and introduces biosecurity risks (parasites, diseases). Some European research facilities have achieved pellet training of pike fingerlings under highly controlled conditions, but success rates are inconsistent and the technique has not been scaled to practical aquaculture. Temperature range: 4–24°C, optimal at 15–20°C. Growth on live feed is fast in cold water: 500–1 g in the first year, continuing to grow for decades. FCR on live fish is approximately 3-5 (because the feed is whole prey, not concentrated pellet). Stocking must be strictly single-size cohorts because pike are aggressively cannibalistic; a pike 30% larger than its tankmates will systematically eat everything smaller over a few days. Stocking density must be low (5-10 g/L) because they're solitary, territorial ambush predators. For aquaponics, pike are not recommended. The species is relevant mainly in European extensive pond polyculture, where pike serve as biological control agents (eating excess carp and bream fry to maintain balanced populations) rather than as a primary production species.

Further reading

• Aquaponics water chemistry: balancing pH for fish and plants
• Fish for aquaponics: tilapia vs everything else