What does pike spawning actually look like?
Ice-out theater in centimeters of water: a large female escorted by one to three smaller males cruises flooded grass and marsh in water 4–10 °C (39–50 °F), often with backs and tails breaking the surface, scattering adhesive eggs over vegetation in repeated short bursts across days. There is no nest and no guarding — eggs stick to plant stems, and the adults' job ends at fertilization. It is one of the few chances all year to see the lake's biggest predator in water that would not cover your boots, which is exactly why closed seasons exist where they do.
The full story
This answer is one piece of a longer lesson — setups, diagrams and the reasoning behind it.
Same topic, other species
- Why do muskie spawn after pike, and what does it cost them? — Muskellunge (Muskie)
- Can I catch perch during the spawn itself? — Yellow Perch
- Can I fish for smallmouth in early spring anywhere I want? — Smallmouth Bass
- What does the spring rainbow trout run look like? — Trout (Rainbow · Brook · Lake)
- What does the walleye spawn itself look like — and can I fish it? — Walleye