That's how they made it to Lake Samish.
Pike in the San Juan Islands?
- Thread starter Stonedfish
- Start date
Yes, and many other species of fish as well including other pike.
I grew up right near Chesapeake Bay and we had chain pickerel (1st cousin of pike) in brackish water. I have caught pickerel, Norfolk spot, and bluefish all in the same spot. Oh and occasionally sharks.
Pike eat anything that will fit in their mouth!
You don't need any particular skills to catch pike. If they're present in any significant numbers (and hopefully they're NOT yet in WA waters!) find fish, and you'll find pike.
They're not spooky and not picky eaters (unlike their musky cousins) and as apex ambush predators they'll be hanging either where their food is concentrated, where there's heavy cover, or both. Western WA waters are chilly, and they prefer warm water like LM do, so look for them in shallow weedy bays except at the very height of summer, when they'll follow their prey into deeper lies.
Use big streamers or poppers, and fish them all the way back to the boat.
TBH, though, if they were in Lake WA in any significant #s, you'd hear about more people catching them. The little ones especially are voracious feeders and are hard to avoid when fishing for other species in waters where pike are present. Like any species, the big ones are harder to fool, but if there's no little guys there's probably not enough big ones to target.
Just my 2 cents, as someone who's spent more time trying NOT to catch them while targeting walleye!
More Northern Pike Found In San Juan Island Lake -
WDFW crews this week netted four northern pike out of the San Juan Island lake where an angler caught one last month.
nwsportsmanmag.com
It would be interesting to know where the fish came from, how long they've been there and who and where the bucket bio lives.
You'd have to think they are a local who wanted to create a pike fishery for themselves. Maybe they have Midwest ties and miss pike fishing?
The cost of a ferry ride these days seems it would likely be that, but who knows.
SF
You'd have to think they are a local who wanted to create a pike fishery for themselves. Maybe they have Midwest ties and miss pike fishing?
The cost of a ferry ride these days seems it would likely be that, but who knows.
SF
G_Smolt
Legend
Now that I know which lake it is, I'm formally retracting my "freshwater lens" saltwater migration theory.
The lake outlet is located at ~85m elevation, the outlet is ~775m from salt.
Assuming slope homogeneity (doubtful) and a stream with enough - but not too much - flow volume, I would expect to find coho and possibly sockeye in the lake. This is all dependent on the absence of anadromous barriers, naturally.
As pike are the slightly slimmer energetic equivalent of the slovenly largemouth, ain't no way in hell one arrived at tha lake in a natural fashion.
The lake outlet is located at ~85m elevation, the outlet is ~775m from salt.
Assuming slope homogeneity (doubtful) and a stream with enough - but not too much - flow volume, I would expect to find coho and possibly sockeye in the lake. This is all dependent on the absence of anadromous barriers, naturally.
As pike are the slightly slimmer energetic equivalent of the slovenly largemouth, ain't no way in hell one arrived at tha lake in a natural fashion.
I’ve been by that lake on my way to Lime Kiln a few times. With the amount of bicycle traffic present, I’m envisioning one or several conspirators brought the juvenile pike across on the ferry in their camelback water bladders!
Some of the Alaska natives I've worked with fish pike in brackish waters in Alaska. When I asked them what they liked to catch it surprised me the answer was Pike and not Salmon. I can't remember where this was though it was definitely tidal
Brackish pike is probably delicious!
As @Pink Nighty mentioned, birds can plant fish. Happens all the time. Whether eggs, fry or even adults. That's one reason it's so hard to control them once they're here.
Rainforest Gump
Steelhead
Presenting the San Juan island Northern Pike.. the invasive predator with a can do attitude and a winning smile!
