Black Lake, NY Forum

Can anyone tell me how good (or bad) is pike fishing..
Last spring it seemed really down on opening day and I'm wondering if the pike population is declining. In past years we would catch many "Hammar-handles" and good numbers in the 25+ inch range.. I'm hoping for better this year. I can catch bass most anywhere but I reallly like catching pike, mostly catch-n-release but occasionally we eat the medium size for meal on the lake.

Pike fishing ,in my opinion, has taken a nose dive in the last few years. Last year I wasn't able to catch any. In previous years I always caught them all season long. Very few Pike in the 30 inch range are being caught by anyone. They are becoming scarce as the Walleye which used to dominate the lake. I am sure there are those who will disagree with me on this subject but decent sized Bass as well as Crappie are also becoming rare. I attribute this to several reasons - invasive species - zebra muscles - cormorants - excessive weed growth etc. Then there are those so called Sportsmen out there who take and keep all sizes legal or not and of any number. We must all try to report violations as we see them occur and make sure that we consider the welfare of the lake at all times.

Previous posts have indicated that the best time to pursue Pike is in the early part of the Season from May through June. Using minnow type lures seems to be the favorite lures to use. As the season progresses into the Summer, Pike and other game fish tend to move to the deeper and cooler areas of the lake. Let us hope that the the future will be brighter for the various species found in our beautiful lake. Catch & Release!!!!

Good summary on Pike fishing Black Lake. One good thing about the hammer handles is that breeding appears to be successful. Those of us that fish often know that when numbers and size are below the norm, it's THE time for catch and release of that particular species. Although invasive species in the can have an effect on a population, so can the "invasive species" that fish the lake.

I'd be lying if I said the pike fishing hasn't declined. It has.

It's not due to zebra muscles, cormorants, or weeds. It's due to two things:

1) Crappies. Pike spawn just after ice-out, and they do not protect their fry. Crappie come into the shallows shortly after the pike spawn and are very aggressive shallow water feeders. Hungry crappie can put a serious hurt'n on pike numbers.

2) Over-harvest. People tend to keep the big pike they catch, especially through the ice.

The news isn't all bad though. If you like pike, there are some REALLY good options very close to Black Lake. You have to think a bit outside the box and be willing to try new things, but the pay-off can be huge. I'll give you three of my favorite options:

1) St. Lawrence River. In the Spring, look for protected bays where the water warms up quickly. In those bays, drift around and throw red and white spinners. I've had the single best pike fishing day of my life doing just that last year. You can find dozens of these bays within a 45 minute drive of the Lake. In summer and fall, find shoals and reefs close to deep water. BIG pike are down there. BIIIIIIG.

2) Cranberry Lake. I know it's almost an hour's drive from the lake, but the pike in there are absolutely huge. Do a google search. You'll be impressed. It's also a beautiful lake with plenty of other species to fish for. If you are up at Black Lake for a week, it's worth it to spend one day over at Cranberry. Oh, and you'll pass some great trout fishing streams on your drive.

3) Smaller Rivers. This one you'll have to figure out on your own, but some of the smaller rivers in the area hold enormous populations of pike. These pike don't get fished much and there aren't millions of crappie eating them up in the Spring. I wouldn't say they are monsters, but you can catch pike in the mid to upper 20's all day long ... and the best part is you won't see another boat all day (and no wind).

So get out there and explore. Black Lake is still a great fishery for smallies, largemouth, perch, crappie, bullhead, channel cats, and panfish. But only a few minutes away you literally have world class fishing for pike, walleye, and muskie. Oh, and wild brook trout fishing is close too - you just have to know where to look.

Just an FYI if you are Pike fishing the St. Lawrence, I believe that I read the limit has been lowered from 5 to 3. Someone correct me if I am wrong.

There was definitely a way to do this on the fly, and that with a little effort I could be holding one of those monster trout as well. Fly fishing on the twizel canals is completely different from most fisheries in the world that I’ve been too but it is very similar to still water fishing, so I knew this could be done.

ROSS REELS