This area has several lakes to fish for northern pike. Most of the smaller lakes in this area will have some pike in them, but most of them will not have very many big pike in them. If you’re looking to target some bigger northern pike, check out Eagle Lake or Bowden Lake. If you are up for an adventure, you might find some quality pike in some of the smaller, hard to access lakes that don’t receive very much fishing pressure.
Eagle Lake
The northern pike fishing is very good on Eagle Lake. Whether you are looking for numbers or trophy-sized fish, Eagle Lake has you covered. This lake has plenty of offshore structure, deep water and lots of bays with vegetation, so anglers have lots of options for targeting pike here.
Blue Lake
Blue Lake is a beautiful lake with crystal clear waters and a long sandy beach. the Blue Lake Provincial Park is here, so plan on seeing quite a few people when fishing here, but it’s worth a trip here to check out the lake. Anglers target lake trout, smallmouth bass and northern pike. In summer and fall, you’re going to need to fish deeper and fluorocarbon line will definitely help you get more bites.
Corner Lake
Corner Lake is a decent-sized lake just south of Blue Lake and just minutes from the center of town. It is a pretty good fishing lake for muskie, walleye and pike.
Square Lake, Long Lake & Bowden Lake
These three lakes are pretty remote, but there are some houses near the boat launch and you will most likely see some other anglers on these lakes, but they usually have minimal fishing pressure. You will need a 4×4 truck or SUV to launch your boats here and you’re probably better off with an 18 foot boat or smaller.
Long Lake
Long Lake is the first lake of these 3 connected lakes. It has murky water and is very shallow. It’s loaded with small northern pike, so if you want some action, you will enjoy this lake. One part of the lake does have some deeper water and some anglers do report some decent walleye fishing too. It is definitely more of a pike lake and most will be smaller.
Square Lake
Square Lake is deeper than Long Lake and it offers better fishing, especially for bigger fish. Walleye, northern pike and smallmouth bass are all here in fishable numbers. You have some deep shorelines, lots of rocks, some weeds, current and islands. It is a small lake that you can easily fish in a half day.
Bowden Lake
Bowden Lake is the biggest of these 3 lakes. You may be able to get in through the stream that connects these lakes. If the water is low or your boat too big, you won’t be able to get through here due to the shallow water and rocks. If you can’t get through the stream, there is a resort that has its own launch.
Bowden Lake is the best lake of these 3 lakes. It has good numbers of northern pike, smallmouth bass and walleye with quality fish too. You have points, islands, rocks, weeds and bays to fish. It’s a nice lake to fish with minimal fishing pressure.
Ely Lake
Ely Lake is a small lake close to the center of town. The boat launches aren’t great, so bring a smaller boat and a 4×4 truck or SUV. This lake has some deep water, lots of rocks, some bays with weeds and wood and a good sized island that attracts a lot of fish. There are some nice smallmouth bass, some pike and walleye here too. Most of the pike will run smaller and you won’t catch a ton of walleye, but the smallmouth bass are worth a half day or more on this lake.
Other Backcountry Lakes
The smaller, backcountry lakes give anglers all kinds of options if you don’t mind fishing some of these lakes in a rowboat or kayak. Many of the smaller lakes in the area will have areas to launch your boat, but you will need a 4×4 truck or SUV. There are several lakes worth fishing that won’t have a launch, so you can just drop a rowboat, kayak or inflatable.
The smaller lakes in this area will have a good variety of fish. Most will have some pike in them. Some lakes have some walleye. Several lakes have good lake trout fishing and you can find some smallmouth bass here too.
Best Baits for Northern Pike
Northern pike are known for eating just about everything they can get the mouths on and there is definitely some truth to that. For the most part, if it swims, pike may eat it. There are some baits that definitely will catch more pike than others though. Spinners, crankbaits, spoons, swimbaits and soft plastics are some of the best lures for targeting pike. Live baits such as minnows and perch are great baits too.
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Best Rigs for Northern Pike
There are many different rigs you can use for northern pike, however, since pike are so aggressive, you really don’t need to use as many of them as you would if you were trying to get good at largemouth bass fishing. For most situations, you can keep it real simple with a jighead and a minnow or soft plastic bait. To learn about some of the rigs that you can use, take a look at our best rigs for northern pike page.
Best Techniques for Northern Pike
Anglers catch pike with many different techniques. Casting, trolling and drifting are most popular ways to target pike, but there are some other methods that also work well too.
To learn more, take a look at our best techniques for northern pike page.
Learn More About Northern Pike
Our northern pike fishing section has tons of tips on the best lures, live baits, where to catch them and how to catch them.
Visit our northern pike fishing website to learn more.
