Fishing For Northern Pike & Muskie In Minnesota

Guide to catching northern pike, muskie and tiger musky in local lakes

Last updated on January 26, 2026.

Best lakes, lures and bait

Muskie

Fishing For Muskie

Muskie—are the largest and most elusive members of the pike family and are widely regarded as North America’s premier freshwater gamefish. Muskies are ferocious predators known for their size, intelligence, and rarity. Often called “the fish of ten thousand casts,” muskie demand patience, precision, and persistence from anglers. They prefer large lakes and river systems with a mix of structure, vegetation, and deep water. They use the cover of weed edges, rock bars, points, submerged timber, and breaks to attack prey. Muskies feed primarily on large forage such as sunfish, perch, frogs and even waterfowl. They are solitary fish with large territories, which contributes to the difficulty of locating and catching them.

In cold water muskie hold near deep basins, channel edges, and remaining green weeds, in 15 to 40 feet of water. Ice anglers occasionally target muskies with large live suckers on tip-ups, but success is limited and regulations vary. Come Spring, muskies spawn when water temperatures reach 48–55°F, in shallow, marshy bays and flooded vegetation, typically 1 to 5 feet deep. After spawning, fish remain shallow to recover and feed. Slow-moving lures such as glide baits, twitch baits, soft plastics, and shallow crankbaits are effective. Summer offers some of the most consistent muskie fishing. As water temperatures stabilize, muskies establish predictable patterns around weed lines, deep edges, rock reefs, and points in 10–30 feet of water. Early morning, late evening, and cloudy days—are prime times. Bucktail spinners, topwater baits, large crankbaits, and rubber swimbaits are staples. Boat-side figure-eight maneuvers are critical, as many muskies strike at the last second. Fall is peak trophy season. As water cools, muskies feed heavily to prepare for winter, often targeting large prey, typically in 15 to 40 feet of water.

Northern Pike

Fishing For Northern Pike

Northern pike tend to roam a lot. They are not inclined to stay in one spot for too long, but will use the same spots over and over across time. Reading current fishing reports and northern pike tournament results from the lake you wish to fish, can give insight into the type of spots northerns are currently using. Reports and results from this time last year can also be helpful. Use this knowledge and look for spots on contour maps to identify spots and areas that meet criteria outlined in the reports. Use these maps to also identify creek channels, flats, and depth variations. This information can help you plan your time on the water, well before you head to the lake.

Shallow Northern Pike Once you arrive at the lake, focus on finding the fish, by covering lots of water, and specific type spots that match the reports. Northern pike move up and down in the water column in search of the best available water temperatures, availability of food, and a variety of other factors. Begin the day fishing shallow, medium and deep water in search of the best depth for the day. Northern pike also migrate throughout the lake, often following schools of baitfish. Once you locate fish, concentrate on that depth and similar locations. Shallow, weedy areas, next to deeper water are the most common feeding areas for northern pike. Keep lure selection simple. Northern pike are not as picky as many anglers tend to think. Stick to basic colors as long as they are biting, then experiment with brighter color options.

Ice fishing for northern pike can be fun and effective on lakes that freeze over. Cut bait, flashy jigging spoons or live minnows are popular bait choices.

Tiger Muskie

Fishing For Tiger Muskie

Look for tiger muskie in smaller lakes, reservoirs, and urban fisheries where natural muskies won’t reproduce. They are ferocious predators known for their size and power. Fishing for tiger muskie requires patience and persistence. They hang around vegetation, drop-offs weed edges, rocky points, and submerged timber to attack prey. Tiger muskies feed primarily on large forage such as baitfish, sunfish, perch, frogs and ducks.

In cold water muskie hold near deep basins, channel edges, and remaining green weeds, in 15 to 40 feet of water. Ice anglers occasionally target muskies with large live suckers on tip-ups, but success is limited and regulations vary. Come Spring, muskies spawn when water temperatures reach the high 40's to mid 50's, in shallow, bays and flooded vegetation, typically 1 to 5 feet deep. After spawning, fish remain shallow to recover and feed. Slow-moving lures such as glide baits, twitch baits, spinnerbaits, soft plastics, and shallow crankbaits are effective. Summer offers some of the most consistent muskie fishing. As water temperatures stabilize, muskies establish predictable patterns around weed lines, deep edges, rock reefs, and points in 10–30 feet of water. Early morning, late evening, and cloudy days—are prime times. Spring and Fall are the best seasons for catching tiger muskie. Bucktail spinners, topwater baits, large crankbaits, and rubber swimbaits are staples. Boat-side figure-eight maneuvers are critical, as many muskies strike at the last second. Fall is peak trophy season. As water cools, muskies feed heavily to prepare for winter, often in deeper water.

Popular Fishing Lakes

Muskie and pike fishing lure Northern pike and muskie are distributed a great number of lakes in the state. Larger lakes across the state, with some of these miscellaneous fish populations, may include Big Stone Lake, Cass Lake, Kabetogama Lake, Lac Qui Parle Lake, Lake Bemidji, Lake Mille Lacs, Lake Minnetonka, Lake Minnewaska, Lake of the Woods, Lake Pepin, Lake Traverse, Lake Vermilion, Lake Winnibigoshish, Leech Lake, Lower Red Lake, Otter Tail Lake, Pelican Lake, Rainy Lake, Upper Red Lake and many others.