When nicer pike go deep in your lakes?

Fellow pike enthusiast, the lake I fish has lots of shallow water that later weeds up and lots of deep water down to 70’. The lake has loads of both shallow and deep water forage. I find the nicer pike > 28” to as big 40” (if very lucky) go deep when the water temperature gets into the mid 60’s. They suspend or hang off of deep points.

Was wondering if anybody else fishes for pike in deep lakes and has noticed similar patterns?

BTW no giants this year, a couple of nice 33”, most in the (26 to 30)” range.

My parents have a cabin on a deep clear muskie lake that has ciscoes in it and the last few years we have run into quite a few larger pike while trolling for muskies. We generally troll in 20ft+ with Jakes and we get them anywhere from along weedlines to no man’s land over 40-90ft of water. One spot we troll, if you get a hit, it always is a pike. It’s a 20-25 ft deep channel between an island and a small dark water lily pad bay. We didn’t start catching pike until the DNR put special regs on them. Now we catch more pike than muskies.

I believe you’ve hit on the general rule. Larger pike aren’t fond of water temps over 65 degrees.

As part of the seasonal transition they will head out of the shallows and to deeper haunts as the water warms up. Where they go depends on the lake and it’s particular forage. Beats me where they go because I don’t chase pike in the height of summer. Spring and fall for me

After summer peak I get them trolling walleye spinners at 10-15′ along steeper breaks adjacent to reeds. Don’t target them but always catch em. Main lake basin, doesn’t have to be next to a flat either, neck down areas being best.

I always thought the biggest Pike hung out around the thermocline

If your lake stratifies I would check there, especially if there are Ciscoes in the lake

Great input guys! In this lake “Conesus” which has loads of shallow water feed and tons of Alewives which are the cool – cold water baitfish that travel in pods of tremendous numbers. In spring I’ve seen a pod ~ 300′ long swim adjacent to the boat. The one thing that’s a pain is that alewives don’t relate to structure.
I don’t fish for the pike in the heat of summer (July to September), since the nicer fish suspended in no-man’s land and I don’t care to troll with downriggers. If I’m going to troll darn it, I’m going to have a rod in my hands (I stopped using downriggers years ago). However I’d like to get them during the transition phase before the thermocline really stratifies, say at (15 to 30)’. I used to fish for L. Trout and occasionally hauled up pike and smallmouth from > 60 feet down.
I’ve been to some lakes up north in Canada that have a maximum depth of only 15” that held pike of 25#. In the heat of summer these big ones become inactive and wait for a cool down. Being this is way up north they only have to go on a hunger strike for 4 to 6 weeks.

You don’t need down riggers to get down there

Get your self some snap weights, and just snap them on a few feet a head of your bait

Quote:

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You don’t need down riggers to get down there

Get your self some snap weights, and just snap them on a few feet a head of your bait

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X2. Fish are most active during summer peak, they just move. People caught plenty of fish before leadcore and downriggers. Find some pods of alewives, mark them out, draw a line from point a to b to c and have at them man!

BTW for the 1st time I’ve been trying this trolling a deeper as the water warms and with some good results. Trolling in (20 to 40)’ of water with diving Rapala’s that go down to ~ 15’. This is the 1st year my fishing hasn’t ended when I can’t get them in shallow by jerk – pull baiting. Getting some nice pike (28 to 32.5)” and missed another bigger one the bugger. On a heavily fished lake I guess that’s how they get big. I’m one who believes the bigger ones are a bit better at shaking off the hooks more power, more head shaking, etc. Not that I don’t get fish > 36” however I lose some as well.