Northern pike are a non-native, highly invasive predator that has become established in Box Canyon Reservoir on the Pend Oreille River in northeast Washington. They are considered a serious threat to both native and preferred non-native fish species in Box Canyon Reservoir and downstream into the Columbia River. Northern pike in the Pend Oreille River system are a result of illegal introductions in Montana that moved downstream in the Clark Fork River to Lake Pend Oreille, then into the Pend Oreille River and into Washington.
Their voracious appetite for other fish and prolific spawning habits represent a potential for great ecological and economic damage, not just in northeast Washington but throughout the region. The Pend Oreille River is a tributary of the Columbia River, where even salmon and steelhead could be negatively impacted by northern pike moving downstream.
Surveys conducted between 2004 and 2014 documented both a rapid increase in the number of northern pike in Box Canyon Reservoir and a decline in the abundance of forage species such as native minnows and non-native sunfish, largemouth bass, and yellow perch.
Report catches of northern pike at invasivespecies.wa.gov/report-a-sighting/ or by emailing AIS@dfw.wa.gov.
Invasive species information
Other western states are struggling with non-native populations of Northern Pike as well, and face challenges similar to Washington. Alaska, for example, has a large northern portion of the state where Northern Pike are native, but illegal introductions to the southcentral part of the state, where they are not native, have caused devastating impacts to native salmon and trout populations. Washington is trying to learn from Alaska’s management strategy, and for more information on their situation, see the Alaska Department of Fish and Game Northern Pike webpage.
Suppression reports
- 2022 Box Canyon Supression Summary Report
- 2022 Boundary Reservoir Suppression Summary and SPIN Results Report
- 2021 Box Canyon Supression Summary Report
- 2021 Boundary Reservoir Suppression Summary and SPIN Results Report
- 2020 Box Canyon Supression Summary Report
- 2020 Boundary Reservoir Suppression Summary and SPIN Results Report
- 2019 Box Canyon Supression Summary Report
- 2019 Boundary Reservoir Suppression Summary and SPIN Results Report
- 2018 Box Canyon Supression Summary Report
- 2018 Boundary Reservoir Suppression Summary and SPIN Results Report
- 2017 Box Canyon Supression Summary Report
- 2017 Boundary Reservoir Suppression Summary and SPIN Results Report
- 2016 Suppression Summary Report
- 2015 Suppression Summary Report
- 2014 Suppression Summary Report
- 2013 Suppression Summary Report
- Warmwater Fisheries Surveys of Box Canyon Reservoir Pend Oreille County, Washington 2004 - 2009 - 2011
- 2004 Warmwater Fisheries Survey of Box Canyon Reservoir, Pend Oreille
- Suppression of Northern Pike in Box Canyon Reservoir, Pend Oreille River
- Development of a Target Abundance for Northern Pike in Box Canyon Reservoir
- Spring Pike Index Netting (SPIN) Box Canyon Reservoir
Description and Range
Physical description
Northern pike have a long body shape, oval in cross-section (hence the name “pike”, meaning spear or lance-shaped) and have a large duck-bill mouth with big teeth and a dorsal fin located near the tail fin. They display horizontal rows of light-colored round to oval spots on a dark background.
Geographic range
The largest proportion of northern pike in the Pend Oreille River is in Box Canyon Reservoir, but they also live in Boundary Reservoir, just north of Box Canyon Dam on the Pend Oreille River. Anglers have also reported catching pike in the Columbia River north of the confluence with the Pend Oreille River, in Canada, downstream near Northport, Washington, and just upstream and downstream of Kettle Falls. They also live in the Spokane River from Lake Couer d’Alene in Idaho downstream to Long Lake in Spokane County. Northern pike are a prohibited species everywhere they exist in Washington.
Where to fish
Lakes where this species may be found
State record
| Weight | Angler | Location | Date Caught |
|---|---|---|---|
| 34.06 lbs | Bryan McMannis | Long Lake, Spokane County | April 9, 2004 |