Fishing For Northern Pike & Muskie In Utah

Guide to catching northern pike and tiger musky in local lakes

Last updated on January 27, 2026.

Best lakes, lures and bait

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

Morning fishing in the fog Larger lakes across the state of Utah include Deer Creek Reservoir, Fish Lake, Flaming Gorge Reservoir, Jordanelle Reservoir, Lake Powell, Pineview Reservoir, Piute Reservoir, Scofield Reservoir, Sevier Bridge Reservoir, Starvation Lake, Strawberry Reservoir, Yuba Reservoir and others.