Northern pike aren’t found in huge numbers on Kabetogama Lake, but they are definitely in this lake and there are some trophy-sized fish available also. If you target them exclusively, you should be able to catch some pike on your trip.
Kabetogama Lake Has Big Pike
Kabetogama is one of the best options for anglers that want to stay in Minnesota and catch a trophy pike over 40 inches. Many anglers will catch them by accident while fishing for walleye or smallmouth bass. If you choose to use lures that will catch all 3 species of fish, you will most likely run into more pike on your trip than if you just use some smaller jigs to fish for walleye or smallmouth bass.
If you actually use bigger lures designed for trophy pike, you may just run into some of the huge pike here that go well over 40 inches long. Fish in the upper 30 inch range and just over 40 inches long are caught here throughout the year.
Fish the Bays
In the spring, the bays will hold lots of northern pike and this is your best chance to get your lures in front of a lot of big pike. This lake is full of rocks, so you will find plenty of rock in the bays, but the weeds are going to attract lots of pike. Find the green weeds in the spring and the deeper weed edges in the summer and fall and you’ll catch some quality pike here.
Fish the Islands
The islands are great spots for smallmouth bass, perch and walleye, so the pike will obviously move into these spots to feed. Rocks will hold plenty of pike, but the islands that have some vegetation will usually be more productive. Deep water nearby is ideal.
Fish the Points
The points are great spots to fish whether on the main lake or off the islands. Most anglers target walleye, smallmouth bass and perch in these areas, but the pike will be there too. Deeper water nearby is key for most of the open water season.
Fish Reefs
The walleye will be roaming the reefs from summer through fall and the northern pike will be right there with them feeding. Find the reefs with some deeper water and don’t rule out the open water fairly close to the reefs. Pike are known for suspending out over deeper water just a little ways away from the reefs.
Fish the Rocks
You will find a lot of rocks on the lake. Weeds are usually better for targeting pike, but you are going to catch a lot of pike around the rocks on Kabetogama Lake.
Fish the Wind Blown Structure
The wind blown structure will position bait fish, walleye, perch and smallmouth bass. The pike will follow. On days with some wind, you can usually target the wind blown shorelines, islands and points and catch a lot of fish.
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.
