Northern Pike, nicknamed Water Wolf of the North, are the apex predators in the lake and are a lot of fun to catch. Our lake has a healthy population with all age and size classes well represented.

In the spring you can spend all day casting the miles of shoreline which includes back weedy bays, rocky points, shoals and sunken ridges. Using the lures below you will catch many Northern Pike around the 20-28 inch mark. You just never know when the big one will bite; so be ready!

The best spoons for catching Northern Pike in Murray Lake are Dardevles. You should bring various sizes, shapes and colors. Traditional spoons like the 5-of-Diamonds Dardevle and Red and White Dardevle can be found in almost every tackle store along with Silver Williams Wobblers and Gold Willow Leafs. In July some people switch to trolling with a 3 or 4-inch Mepps Cyclops, Rapala Rattlin Raps or big Rapalas, whether single or jointed. Thundersticks also work great for the shallows and rattling Cotton Cordell deep divers are good for sunken ridges and shoal. It's good to have a variety of colors and have both floating or countdown styles. The Northern Pike are always hungry but they tend to hit different colors and lure models on different days. Some fishermen swear by red hooks or color combinations that have some red in them.

Northern Pike are found everywhere but the bigger trophy Northern Pike tend to be in areas where they can ambush pray. The points leading into bays, the mouth of narrows between lakes, between a thick weedbed and the shore or between an island / shoal and the shore is where the big ones hang out. When the atmospheric pressure goes drops the Smalmouth Bass head deeper to compensate for the pressure. Big Northern Pike will sit just below deep-water ridges in the 15 to 30-foot range just waiting to eat Smallmouth. On a low pressure day try getting some deep running Rapala Fatraps in Smallmouth Bass color down to these ridges. If you troll along the shore with a depth-finder you can see the ridges.

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