The 20 Best Pike Lures

Northern pike – usually just called “pike” – is one of the most popular sport fish in the world. In part, this is because they’re so common. They can be found in Europe, Russia, Canada, and the US, basically everywhere in the Northern Hemisphere where it gets cold enough for lakes to ice over.

Mainly, pike are so popular because they’re so much fun to fish. They hit your bait hard, and are extremely strong and fast, making for a long fight against an animal that’s quite capable of throwing the hook or snapping a line. The best pike lures have big, sharp hooks and durable bodies that can handle a fight.

When they’re not on the hook, pike are sluggish fish that like to hide out in cover and ambush their prey as it swims by. For this reason, lures that simulate injured fish make excellent pike bait. It helps if they’re shiny or make a lot of noise.

Best Pike Lures

1. Rapala Floating Magnum

The Rapala Floating Magnum is a 7-inch monster of a lure. The three treble hooks are very sharp and have big enough barbs to hang on through a tough fight. They’re over an inch in length, big enough not just for the heaviest northern pike, but also for monster catfish. You can even catch grouper with it since the nickel hardware is corrosion-resistant.

The body is crafted from durable abachi wood and is hand-painted in Rapala’s Minneapolis shop. This lure runs at around 9 to 11 feet, so it’s perfect for catching pike in the summer when they congregate at 10 to 20 feet. This lure is fairly pricey, but it’s a serious piece of equipment.

Pros

• 7 inches long
• Hand-painted wood body
• Large nickel treble hooks
• Realistic wounded minnow action
• Made in the USA

Cons

• On the pricier side

Why It’s Recommended

The Rapala Floating Magnum is one of the best pike fish lures you can buy, and it’s tough enough for even the largest pike.

2. Rapala Original Floater

The Rapala Original Floater was originally designed in Minneapolis in 1936. It’s long been one of the most popular shallow diving crankbaits on the market, and it’s easy to see why. This lure comes in 5cm, 7cm, 9cm, 11cm and 13cm lengths. We chose the 11cm version for its versatility. It’s big enough for pike, but still small enough for other lake fish like bass and walleye.

The treble hooks are solid nickel, and very sharp. This lure is available in 13 different colors, all of which are hand-painted in the USA. Not all colors are available in all sizes. For the 11cm version we chose, there are 9 color options.

Pros

• Classic design
• Hand-painted in the USA
• Available in 13 colors
• Available in 5 sizes
• Sharp nickel hooks

Cons

• Not all colors available in all sizes

Why It’s Recommended

The Rapala Original Floater has been among the most popular pike fish lures since it made its debut in 1936. It’s safe to say that this is a quality piece of tackle.

3. Rat-L-Trap

The Rat-L-Trap Magnum Force is a purpose-built murky water lure. It’s available in 11 different colors, but almost all of them leave a large portion of the shiny steel body exposed. On the one hand, this makes the lure shimmer more. On the other hand, the edge of the paint has a tendency to peel over time.

This lure also has a loud internal rattle, to give pikes the extra nudge they need when it’s hard to see. The nickel treble hooks are large and sharp, and the lure itself is fairly dense, at a full ounce and only 3 ½ inches in length. That makes it perfect for long casts. It can run shallow or deep, depending on how fast you reel it in.

Pros

• Runs shallow or deep
• Perfect for murky water
• Nickel treble hooks
• Internal rattle
• Available in 11 colors

Cons

• Paint tends to peel

Why It’s Recommended

The Rat-L-Trap Magnum Force is perfect for fishing in murky water. It’s loud and shiny enough for all but the worst conditions.

4. Musky Innovations Bull Dawg

The Musky Innovations Bull Dawg is a soft plastic lure with a long, rubbery tail. Both of the large, treble hooks are situated in the fatter front half of the body and are engineered from sharp, high-quality nickel. This lure drops at a 45-degree angle and swims horizontally on the retrieve. Whether you’re dropping it or retrieving it, the tail will be doing its work, oscillating like a colorful ribbon.

Like all soft plastic baits, the Bull Dawg has a limited life span. Pike, in particular, have very sharp teeth, and repeated strikes will eventually wear out the lure. It’s not terribly expensive to replace, though, and the results are well worth the occasional loss.

Pros

• Unique swimming action
• Useful as a crankbait, jerkbait, or jig
• Large treble hooks

Cons

• Easily damaged

Why It’s Recommended

The Musky Innovations Bull Dawg may just be the most realistic pike lure you can find.

5. LiveTarget Hollow Body Frog

The LiveTarget Hollow Body Frog is a soft plastic lure that’s designed to look exactly like a frog. We’re talking about precise physical details, like painted wrinkles under the chin. It’s available in 11 colors, some of which match different species of frog. Other designs are high-contrast for murky water.

The hooks are positioned tightly against the sides of the lure, so they won’t snag while you’re retrieving it through the weeds. When a fish bites, the hollow body will collapse, and the hooks will dig right in. Because this lure is made from soft plastic, it has a shorter life span than other types of lures.

Pros

• Extremely realistic
• Two sharp, concealed hooks
• Weedless design
• Available in 11 colors

Cons

• Limited durability

Why It’s Recommended

If you’re fishing in thick weeds and need a slow drag that won’t snag, the LiveTarget Hollow Body Frog is the lure you need.

6. Original Dardevle Spoons

The Original Dardevle Spoon is a 1-ounce, metal lure that’s only 2 ½ inches long. This density makes it a breeze to cast. On the right day, you can sling this lure 75 yards. This makes it ideal as a spinner, which is what it’s made for. Reel it in at a medium pace, and it will spin around, the red and white flashing in the water.

The hooks are razor-sharp, but they’re made of steel, not nickel. As a result, you won’t want to use them in saltwater. This is an excellent freshwater lure though, useful not just for pike but also for bass and walleye.

Pros

• Dense and easy to cast
• Flashy and loud
• Very sharp hooks

Cons

• Hooks are stainless steel, not nickel

Why It’s Recommended

The Original Dardevle Spoon is a classic design that still works. It’s loud and shimmery enough to attract pike under most conditions.

7. Koppers Glass Minnow

The LiveTarget Glass Minnow is perfect for catching pike who are already feeding on a school of baitfish. The body itself is transparent but contains two shiny, realistic minnows that are available in four different colors. It travels at 3 to 6 feet of depth, and moves erratically during the retrieve, simulating a row of fleeing minnows.

The treble hooks are extremely sharp, but they’re stainless steel, so they’re not good for saltwater use. They’re also relatively small. This shouldn’t be an issue since they’re fairly difficult to break, and treble hooks have a way of snagging a fish no matter what their size.

Pros

• Unique fleeing minnow appearance
• Erratic action
• Sharp treble hooks
• Available in 4 colors

Cons

• Not for saltwater use
• Hooks are relatively small

Why It’s Recommended

The LiveTarget Glass Minnow works great for catching pike who are already feeding. It’s also good for using next to cover.

8. BOOYAH Pikee

The BOOYAH Pikee Spinnerbait is a relatively small, reflective spinnerbait with a large, vicious hook that will punch through and hold on to whatever bites it. It comes with a 12-inch wire leader, which you’ll need with any pike lure in order to stand up to its sharp teeth.

This lure comes in 8 different colors. We prefer gold and silver because the most important thing with a spinnerbait is to have a lot of flash. It’s inexpensive, and the steel frame is strong enough to stand up to the fiercest biters. The same can’t be said for the split rings, though. Bring a few extras with you, or risk losing your blades.

Pros

• Large, sharp hook
• Comes with wire leader
• Comes in 8 colors
• Inexpensive

Cons

• Split rings are not very durable

Why It’s Recommended

The BOOYAH Pikee Spinnerbait is equally well-suited for catching pike or largemouth bass.

9. Heddon Rattle Spook

The Heddon Rattle Spook is a tough, stainless steel lure that can take a lot of abuse. It’s specifically designed for walking the dog and gives you a nice, horizontal zig-zag motion when you reel it in at medium speed. Heddon used Mustad hooks for this lure, which are the sharpest and strongest hooks on the market.

This lure comes in six different colors, so there’s a version for any conditions. It’s 4 ½ inches long, which is big enough to tempt even the heftiest pike. The body has a rattle chamber with 10 tungsten rattlers that make a lot of noise as the lure jerks side to side. The rattle chamber is flimsy, though, and can fail after the lure takes some abuse.

Pros

• Tough Mustad treble hooks
• Durable steel body
• Internal tungsten rattlers
• Available in 6 colors

Cons

• Internals could be better

Why It’s Recommended

The Heddon Rattle Spook is perfect for walking the dog. It’s loud, and it has a near-perfect swimming action.

10. Northland Buck-Shot

Jigs are better suited for bass fishing than pike fishing. Still, you can catch a pike with the right jig, and the Northland Buck Shot Rattle Spoon fits the bill nicely. This lure has an internal rattle to attract fish and makes itself even more attractive with its shiny metallic finish.

The Buck Shot is specifically designed for ice fishing. It’s well suited for these cold, dark conditions thanks to its flashy surface and the realistic minnow swimming motion it creates when you’re reeling it in. This lure is very affordable, but not terribly affordable. Basically, it’s cheap to replace, but expect to need a replacement.

Pros

• Shiny metallic finish
• Internal rattle
• Designed for ice fishing
• Very affordable

Cons

• Not very durable

Why It’s Recommended

The Northland Buck Shot Rattle Spoon is shiny, loud, and moves just like a minnow when you’re reeling it in.

11. Bomber Model A

The Bomber Model A is called the “bomber” for a reason. It flies through the air like a missile and reliably lands right on target. This baby has a stainless steel body that can stand up to a strike from the biggest, meanest pike mother nature can throw at you. The treble hooks are sharp, with generous barbs, and the entire lure is saltwater rated so you can use it in the ocean as well.

The Bomber is available in 33 different colors, so it can imitate virtually any baitfish. It also comes in three different sizes, which will dive to different depths. The smallest size dives 2 to 4 feet, and the largest will dive 6 to 8 feet. Pricing is wildly inconsistent across size and color combinations. Some are affordable, and others are pretty pricey.

Pros

• Sharp nickel hooks
• Great casting
• Wobbles like a wounded fish
• Steel body
• Available in 3 sizes
• Available in 33 colors

Cons

• Inconsistent pricing

Why It’s Recommended

The Bomber is a top of the line crankbait with a stainless steel body that’s tough enough to stand up to even the hardest-hitting pike.

12. Blue Fox Vibrax

The Blue Fox Vibrax Super Bou is made to simulate a distressed fish near the surface. It has a free-spinning brass gear near the nose that creates noise and vibrations as you reel it in. Unlike a lot of lures, speed is key here; the faster you reel this puppy in, the louder it gets. The twin treble hooks are well concealed in the skirt and will snag on anything that gets near them.

This lure is available in five different colors. All the designs are colorful and flashy, but we prefer the fire tiger design with its red/green contrast and eye-catching color gradient.

The feather skirt isn’t terribly durable and will freeze and fall apart if it’s stored in below-freezing temperatures. This wouldn’t be a major complaint, except that the Super Bou is one of the more expensive lures on the market. We’d expect more durability at this price.

Pros

• Colorful and flashy
• Free-spinning brass gear produces noise
• Lifelike swimming action
• Two treble hooks
• Available in 5 colors

Cons

• Skirt is not durable
• Pricey

Why It’s Recommended

The Blue Fox Vibrax Super Bou is perfect for surface fishing. Cast it, reel it in as fast as you can, and repeat.

13. Mepps Magnum

The Mepps Magnum Musky Killer is a handcrafted, heavy-duty lure that’s made for bringing in prize lunkers. The sharp, 5/0 hook is the largest standard hook available. Anything bigger than this, and you’re into deep-sea fishing territory. The overall weight is 1 ¼ ounce, heavy enough for long-distance casting. The blade alone weighs almost half an ounce and bangs hard against the lure as you’re retrieving it.

The skirt is colorful and attractive, and wiggles as you retrieve the lure. It’s tougher than most skirts, and won’t fall apart at the first – or third – bite. The Musky Killer is on the expensive side, but good lord is it worth every penny.

Pros

• Sharp 5/0 hook
• Great for casting
• Heavy blade for more vibration
• Big enough for any freshwater fish

Cons

• Expensive

Why It’s Recommended

The Mepps Magnum Musky Killer is an oversized lure that’s designed for catching prize-worthy fish.

14. Suick Muskie Thriller

The Suick Weighted Muskie Thriller is a 9-inch lure that’s made for diving down to 20 feet. This makes it perfect for summer pike fishing when the fish are lurking in cooler, deeper water. It moves like a distressed fish, and the holographic finish is very realistic. The body is carved from solid wood, making it more durable than most lures on the market.

This is an expensive lure, but don’t underestimate it. The three large treble hooks are sharp, durable, and have plenty of strength. If you’re trying to catch the biggest pike possible, the Muskie Thriller is an excellent choice.

Pros

• Very heavy
• Holographic finish
• Large enough for the biggest pike
• Can dive as deep as 20 feet

Cons

• On the pricier side

Why It’s Recommended

The Suick Weighted Muskie Thriller is a beast of a lure that’s meant for catching beasts of the lake. Prepare for a large catch.

15. Walleye Musky

The Tackle Industries SuperD is a 14-inch soft plastic lure that’s made for catching big pike or muskie. Its long, rubbery tail swishes from side to side as you reel it in, causing the body to move like a wounded fish. It has three treble hooks that are big and sharp enough to catch and hold even the feistiest fighter.

This lure is available in 38 different colors, so it can match almost any baitfish. Like any soft plastic lure, it’s going to fail sooner rather than later, but the price reflects this. The SuperD is a great lure and a great value.

Pros

• Enormous
• 3 treble hooks
• Frantic swimming action
• Available in 38 colors

Cons

• Not very durable

Why It’s Recommended

The Tackle Industries SuperD is another oversized lure for catching big lunkers. Make sure to bring a big fishing net.

16. Mepps Syclops

The Mepps Syclops is a shiny spoon lure with a textured finish and a realistic, painted eye. It’s heavy and streamlined enough for good casting, and the twisted shape makes it flail erratically in the water, which is perfect for trolling pike near cover. Alternatively, it can be used vertically as a jig. The bright color and twisting jigging motion make it perfect for ice fishing.

This lure isn’t rated for saltwater, but honestly, you wouldn’t want to use it for that, to begin with. It’s a bit small for saltwater fish, although it’s hefty enough to haul in almost any pike.

Pros

• Easy to cast
• Useful for trolling or jigging
• Good for ice fishing

Cons

• Not rated for saltwater

Why It’s Recommended

The Mepps Syclops is a versatile lure that can be used in almost any conditions.

17. Grandma Classic Jointed

The Grandma Classic Jointed Lure is a jointed crankbait that can be used at a variety of depths. When cast, it will swim at a depth of 3 to 6 feet. If you troll it, it will dive as deep as 12 feet. This makes it a great all-season pike lure since you can vary your technique based on conditions.

The hinge is made from durable stainless steel, not fabric, and the three treble hooks are sharp and manufactured from corrosion-resistant nickel. All of this comes at a steep price, but it’s well worth it.

Pros

• Useful at a variety of depths
• Sharp nickel hooks
• Large

Cons

• Pricey

Why It’s Recommended

The Grandma Classic Jointed Lure has a very realistic action. It’s great for wary pike who have experience with lures.

18. Northland Tackle Bionic Buck Tail

The Northland Tackle Bionic Buck Tail is a one-trick pony, but it’s good enough at that trick to earn a spot on our list. This jig has a large Mustad hook concealed in the skirt at the base of the head. Ideally, that’s where you want the pike to bite, but some fish love to nibble.

To catch those nibblers, Northland included a small trailing treble hook that sticks out of the end of the skirt. It’s also heavy enough to cast long distances. Other than that, there’s nothing remarkable about this lure, and it’s not terribly durable. But there’s nothing better for catching cautious fish.

Pros

• Tough Mustad hooks
• Good for long casts
• Snags short-strikers

Cons

• Not very durable

Why It’s Recommended

If the fish are nibbling, but not biting, give the Northland Tackle Bionic Buck Tail a try. It’s made for snagging short-strikers.

19. Suick Cisco Kid Topper

The Suick Cisco Kid Topper was designed specifically for murky water fishing. It’s shiny and metallic, but Suick knows that’s not enough to catch a pike’s attention when the water is as clear as a latte. That’s why they put stainless steel propellers on the nose and tail. As you reel it in, these propellers spin, creating noise and vibrations to catch predators’ attention.

The dual treble hooks are sharp and have generous barbs, and the body is engineered from durable stainless steel. This lure is a bit pricey, but you won’t regret your purchase.

Pros

• Noisy propellers
• Sharp, durable hooks
• Tough steel construction

Cons

• Pricey

Why It’s Recommended

The Suick Cisco Kid Topper is just the lure you need to catch pike – or any large freshwater fish – in murky water.

20. LiveTarget Yellow Perch

The LiveTarget Yellow Perch is a 4-inch jointed lure that’s made to look like a juvenile yellow perch. Since pike love to eat perch, it should come as no surprise that this is a very effective lure anywhere that yellow perch are native. LiveTarget has gone all-in on this design, with a realistic paint job and a 3D eye that reflects light just like a real eye.

The two treble hooks are extremely sharp and are manufactured from corrosion-resistant nickel. This lure is a bit expensive, but just think of all the pike you’ll catch with it.

Pros

• Jointed design
• Realistic paint job
• 3D eye
• Two sharp treble hooks

Cons

• On the pricier side

Why It’s Recommended

If there are yellow perch in your lake, you’re almost guaranteed to make a catch with the LiveTarget Yellow Perch.

Key Considerations

If you’re new to pike fishing, you probably have a few questions about how to go about it. While it’s impossible to answer every question here, we’ve done our best to cover some of the basics.

What is the Best Bait For Pike?

The best pike fishing bait is either live bait or a lure that looks alive. While this guide covered a lot of lures, we didn’t talk much about live bait. Here are the two most popular options:

Chubs or Suckers

This is the most challenging live bait rig, but it’s the best for catching a very large pike. It’s best used from late winter through early summer when the pike is most aggressive.

When using live baitfish, it’s ideal to use large treble hooks to make sure you can hook the pike before it swallows the bait. With a large bait like a chub or a sucker, it’s best to put your main hook in the fish’s back, just behind the dorsal fin. The secondary hook should be connected to a wire sleeve looped around the mainline.

Crawfish

Pikes love to eat crawdads, especially in the summer. To use them as bait, you’ll want to use a single, large hook that goes directly through the back of the shell, and comes back up into the head. This rig needs a sturdy bobber or a balloon to avoid it falling right to the bottom and staying there. You’re equally likely to catch a bass with this setup, which increases your chances of taking something home.

Where and When Should I Fish For Pike?

Pike prefer cold water. The best time to find them in the shallows is during the spawning season, which begins as soon as the ice clears and lasts until whenever the water temperature rises above 40 degrees, usually around mid-May.

As the water warms up, the pike will move to deeper water, normally in the 10 to 20-foot range. These are excellent depths for trolling or using a jig, preferably near weeds or a structure.

Can You Eat Pike?

One common myth about pike is that they’re inedible. Nothing could be further from the truth. It tastes a little more “fishy” than perch or walleye, and the flesh is flaky. You can cook them any way you cook other fish, although the most popular method is to bread and fry them.

The notion that pike is inedible probably arises from the fact that they have Y-bones in their sides. This makes them much bonier than most fish, and they have to be specially filleted in order to completely debone them.

There are two ways of doing this; one method for larger pike, and another for smaller pike.

How to Debone a Large Pike

To begin with, gut and filet the pike as normal. Remove the ribs and connecting tissue just as you would any other fish. The tips of the Y-bones should now be visible as a dotted white line that runs down the length of the filet.

Using a sharp knife, cut a parallel line above that, about an eighth of an inch away. Pay attention to how the knife feels. When you’ve cut deeply enough, you’ll feel it drag along the bottom part of the Y-bones where they turn towards the spine.

Next, turn the blade of your knife towards the back of the fish, and slice the flesh away from the Y-bones. A filleting knife is helpful here since it will be narrow enough not to mangle the rest of the fish while you’re slicing.

At the bottom of the Y-bone, you’ll see a vein. Cut a slit just below that vein. Again, angle your knife towards the top of the fish, and cut underneath the Y-bones. They should pull right out in one piece, although you’ll want to double-check to make sure you didn’t leave any inside the fish. The closer you can cut to the bone, the more meat you’ll save.

Here’s a video of a master fisherman demonstrating this technique.

How to Debone a Small Pike

For smaller pike, it’s often not worth the extra effort just to save the small amount of meat inside the Y-bones. In this case, the best method is to remove the head, then to slice the back of the fish off just above the spine.

This takes some precision, but when done correctly it will expose the tops of the Y-bones. Once you know how far the Y-bones are from the centerline, you can simply slice a filet that goes right up to the Y-bones. Do the same on the other side of the fish, and you’re all set.

This video gives a good example of deboning a small pike.

Other Options

Alternatively, you can cook the pike with the Y-bones left in, and pick them out as you’re eating. Some people even grind pike up and make pike cakes out of it. When cooked in this fashion, the tiny pieces of bone get soft, and you don’t even notice them.

Bottom Line

As you can see, having a good lure is just the first step to successful pike fishing. Beyond that, you’ll need to have a good understanding of the water, and the lifecycle and preferences of pike. If you plan on turning your fish into a delicious meal, you’ll also have to debone them properly.

Pike is strictly a cold-water fish. 40-degree water is their ideal temperature. This makes them a great choice for early spring when other fish are still too sluggish to bite. They love shallow bays and inlets near creeks, especially where there’s lots of vegetation for them to use for cover.

They’re an ambush predator who strikes targets of opportunity. Use this to your advantage by rigging up a lure that looks like a wounded fish, and they’ll eventually bite.

Deboning them presents a unique challenge. But there are easy ways around this. You can waste a little meat by only using the outer two-thirds of the filet, or just leave the bones in and deal with them when you’re eating.