How and where to catch a Pickerel?

[Beweav]

My dad has stories and pictures of catching bucket loads of Northern Pike out of untouched lakes up in Ontario, Canada.
I’ve always dreamed up going up there sometime but until then… I’ve just recently noticed people catching Pike, Pickerel, and musky around here and it made me wonder how one would go about targeting them with a fly rod?
I have a 4 weight rod so I’m sure I won’t be able to handle musky flies but is there a way to target smaller pickerel or pike? Also I live in Harrisburg, is there a creek that would be my best bet?
I know this is a broad question but I appreciate any advice you all would have to offer!

 

[JeffK]

A lot of shallow Pocono lakes and ponds have pickerel and they aren't hard to catch in places with plenty of them. Where the smaller "hammer handles" abound they can be easy to catch. The bigger ones don't come so easy. I don't know about your area. Bigger ponds, like Pecks Pond, have them, but for action I have had better luck in small, lesser known local ponds. Try ponds that aren't so great for trout or bass but have pickerel. I have caught a few pickerel in streams, but smaller ponds have been best for me.

Pickerel are mostly ambush predators for minnows, so casting streamers around shallow weed beds works best for me. I like white streamers 3" more or less long but the sharp teeth on pickerel can really shred flies. Ones with synthetic wings hold up better IMHO and the body could even be coated with UV resin or nail polish to toughen it up. A bite tippet of 15 lbs test or more is useful to keep the pickerels' teeth from cutting the line. 5X has no place in pickerel fishing.

Actually, winter and early spring is a good time for pickerel. They are active in cold water, but need to find ice free ponds for fly fishing. They are a staple for ice fishermen.

The only time I did well for larger pike on flies is on Seneca Lake. Every 20 years or so there is a great year class so it isn't a reliable thing, but the tactics could be useful elsewhere. Through the summer the pike are in the gnarliest weeds and are near impossible to catch. However, when the weed beds die off in the fall they get concentrated and by November they are in small enough patches to get them with flies. It is a game of running and gunning to each patch of weeds and casting to the edges.

 

[Kyle]

they are toothy critters so i strong leader is recomended. casting clousers near cover would be your best bet. i have caught a few by accident while fly fishing for bass. jeffk pretty much covered it all.

 

[wildtrout2]

Back in the 70's, my fishing buddies and I spin fished Shohola Creek downstream of the lake and caught a lot of Pickerel. Some good size (12"-14") fish too. We did well using a yellow rooster tail spinner. I believe they resembled the Yellow Perch that were numerous in the creek at the time.

This section of Shohola Creek was slow moving and fairly deep. We accessed it from the SGL #180 gun range (don't know if it's still there) off of Rt 739, and crossed Rt 84. The creek was a fairly short hike from there. Shohola Lake might be worth checking out as well, since that's prolly where they came from.

Edit: It was a yellow Garcia Abu Reflex, not a Roostertail we were using.

 

[Nymph-wristed]

Southern New Jersey, in the Pine Barrens.

 

[tomgamber]

Saw a few caught in the spillway below Bush Dam on Kettle.

 

[wildtrout2]

Southern New Jersey, in the Pine Barrens.

There's probably lakes/ponds in the Barrens that almost never get fished and are loaded with Pickerel.

 

[Swattie87]

They’re in low numbers in a lot of warm water creeks and streams in the Susky and Delaware drainages. Look for streams with swampy, tannic, headwaters.

 

[wildtrout2]

Look for streams with swampy, tannic, headwaters.

Funny you mention that, as there's a large swamp in the immediate area of where I was fishing on Shohola Creek that I mentioned above. It was tannic.

 

[caddisflyer]

I caught pickerel in Mountain Creek below Laurel Lake. That would be close for you.

 

[Fish Sticks]

Pine barrens is worth the trip. You can catch two species if you really do your homework and scout around for the second one(redfin) much more rare. Plus there are two native sunfish you won’t get over here you have a chance for in some lakes and streams.

 

[JerryC]

The only pike I've caught on a fly rod has been at a lodge in NE Ontario. Mostly what they call hammer handles. I live in Philly so I can't really help you with your area, but you should be able to find them in the lakes and ponds out there. My buddies and I fish for them up in the Poconos. Mainly we fish Shohola Lake for them, best I've done there with a fly rod is a 20 inch one, my buddies use spinning gear and they've notched a couple in the 26 to 28 inch range. Most lakes in that area have chain pickerel in them. Another area I fish for them is in South Jersey. Most ponds and lakes have them. The Pine Barrens are the epicenter for them. As someone already mentioned there are ponds and streams there where the pickerel have never seen a fly or a lure.
You're a bit under gunned for them with a 4 wgt. It limits the size of the flies you can throw. I mainly use a 6 wgt for them. It's not that you can catch them on small flies. This little guy took one of my panfish bugs at Shohola. The fly in its mouth is about an inch and a half long. The fish 12-13 inches.

Small white streamers or woolly buggers would catch them. They'll take top waters, pan fish poppers or sliders as large as you can throw. A lot of folks will use a wire bite tippet. I just use a 25# fluorocarbon leader. Even small ones can bite you off. Good luck.

 

[Beweav]

Thanks everyone for all that info!

 

[sarce]

Try a fly called a Murdich minnow. It's pretty light and I've caught both pike and pickerel using that fly on a 4 wt (I planned to use 6 wt, but realized upon arrival that I only had the 4 in my car - but it worked out OK). Recommend at least 20-lb tippet. But retie after each fish. 30-lb is better and usually doesn't require a retie.

 

[mszoke1802]

A lot of shallow Pocono lakes and ponds have pickerel and they aren't hard to catch in places with plenty of them. Where the smaller "hammer handles" abound they can be easy to catch. The bigger ones don't come so easy. I don't know about your area. Bigger ponds, like Pecks Pond, have them, but for action I have had better luck in small, lesser known local ponds. Try ponds that aren't so great for trout or bass but have pickerel. I have caught a few pickerel in streams, but smaller ponds have been best for me.

Pickerel are mostly ambush predators for minnows, so casting streamers around shallow weed beds works best for me. I like white streamers 3" more or less long but the sharp teeth on pickerel can really shred flies. Ones with synthetic wings hold up better IMHO and the body could even be coated with UV resin or nail polish to toughen it up. A bite tippet of 15 lbs test or more is useful to keep the pickerels' teeth from cutting the line. 5X has no place in pickerel fishing.

Actually, winter and early spring is a good time for pickerel. They are active in cold water, but need to find ice free ponds for fly fishing. They are a staple for ice fishermen.

The only time I did well for larger pike on flies is on Seneca Lake. Every 20 years or so there is a great year class so it isn't a reliable thing, but the tactics could be useful elsewhere. Through the summer the pike are in the gnarliest weeds and are near impossible to catch. However, when the weed beds die off in the fall they get concentrated and by November they are in small enough patches to get them with flies. It is a game of running and gunning to each patch of weeds and casting to the edges.

I used to fish Pecks for pickerel years ago before they drained it. There would be days you would just hammer them all day long, it was a blast. I haven't been up there since the dam has been repaired, I'd be interested in fishing it again.

 

[mszoke1802]

Pickerel are in Scotts Run lake in French Creek state park. I wouldn't say there are a ton but I've caught a few good sized ones last year.

 

[acesedgley]

There used to be pike in Hopewell Lake. I used to fish live bait for them years ago. Have not tried to target them with fly gear and don't know the current population status. Perhaps Mike may chime in.

 

[Mike]

I spoke to one of my friends today, who also happens to be the AFM in your region. I asked about two lakes that I suspected might have CP. He indicated that Memorial Lake near Ft Indiantown Gap and Sweet Arrow Lake near Pine Grove, Sch Co, both have lower density populations. He also said Memorial Lk may still have a few NP.

From my surveys in your region, I only recall finding CP in the most downstream section of E Licking Ck near Port Royal, Juniata Co. I may have also found them in Lower Little Swatara Ck stocked trout section, but my memory regarding that specific is a bit foggy.

If it’s Muskellunge that you eventually seek, one of the best stretches on a river in the entire state based on the data is the Susquehanna from Falmouth downstream to Bainbridge, Lanc Co or the equivalent stretch on the west side from York Haven to Codorus Ck confluence, York Co.

 

[Mike]

There used to be pike in Hopewell Lake. I used to fish live bait for them years ago. Have not tried to target them with fly gear and don't know the current population status. Perhaps Mike may chime in.

Hopewell pike always seem to be present in low densities except following a partial drawdown for dam repairs that lasts for a summer growing season. This allows terrestrial vegetation to grow on the lake bed and when flooded by rising water after repairs are completed the resulting dead terrestrial vegetation provides excellent spawning habitat and, better yet, tremendous forage for fry/fingerlings in the form of zooplankton, populations of which are stimulated by nutrients being released by the decaying terrestrial vegetation. The NP population booms for a few yrs thereafter and then busts because the good spawning and nursery habitat is gone.

The comment above about Scotts Rn Lk (also Hopewell) is correct…CP in both. Tuscarora Lk, Tuscarora State Park, Sch Co. has a fairly good population and also has some Muskellunge. Heading in the Huntingdon Co direction, Whipple Dam and Lk Perez have fair to good populations of CP.

 

[Beweav]

Wow thanks for that info Mike! Scotts Run Lake or Memorial Lake may be an option for me. Are they fishable from the bank? Are we talking about finding structure or weeds along the shore or do you need a kayak or boat to fish this?