An overview of Northern pike regulations in North America

Northern pike (Esox lucius) is a popular sport fish in the United States an d Canada that is currently managed for multiple angler uses. However, there has been increased concern over lower quality (i.e., smaller fish) norther n pike populations. In 1997, the Esocid Technical Committee (ETC) of the No rth Central Division of the American Fisheries Society surveyed natural res ource agencies about their northern pike management. In addition, a round-t able discussion on the quality of northern pike management was conducted in 1999. This paper is a summary of the ETC findings. In some cases, northern pike regulations have existed since the late 1800s, but most states and pr ovinces did not use regulations until the 1950s or 1960s. Some agencies cur rently manage northern pike for angling quality (i.e., more large fish), ot hers have few or no northern pike regulations, and some agencies manage for quality in some water bodies and do not manage northern pike at all in oth er water bodies. In general, states and provinces manage for quality northe rn pike when the public perceives the need. Experimental regulations (e.g., protected slot-length limits) currently are being used on some waters. Alt hough regulations can help create quality northern pike populations, angler compliance and environmental constraints on growth and recruitment also in fluence the success of management programs. Managers and anglers must reali ze the limitations of regulations for restructuring northern pike populatio ns.