Description of Chain Pickerel
A close relative of the muskellunge and other members of the
pike family, the chain pickerel is named for the chain-like pattern on its
sides. It is sometimes mistaken for a small muskellunge, but the muskellunge
does not have the black bar beneath its eye that is present in the chain
pickerel. The redfin or "grass" pickerel is also similar in appearance, but the
pattern on its sides resembles dark vertical bars rather than a chain-like
pattern, and the redfin pickerel rarely exceeds 10 inches.
Chain pickerel are native to the Piedmont and Coastal Plain
of North Carolina, as well as other Atlantic and Gulf Coast drainages from New
England to western Louisiana. They prefer relatively calm areas in lakes and
rivers with lots of aquatic vegetation. Similar to muskellunge, chain pickerel
are solitary fish that often hide in aquatic vegetation where they wait to
ambush unsuspecting prey.
pike family, the chain pickerel is named for the chain-like pattern on its
sides. It is sometimes mistaken for a small muskellunge, but the muskellunge
does not have the black bar beneath its eye that is present in the chain
pickerel. The redfin or "grass" pickerel is also similar in appearance, but the
pattern on its sides resembles dark vertical bars rather than a chain-like
pattern, and the redfin pickerel rarely exceeds 10 inches.
Chain pickerel are native to the Piedmont and Coastal Plain
of North Carolina, as well as other Atlantic and Gulf Coast drainages from New
England to western Louisiana. They prefer relatively calm areas in lakes and
rivers with lots of aquatic vegetation. Similar to muskellunge, chain pickerel
are solitary fish that often hide in aquatic vegetation where they wait to
ambush unsuspecting prey.
Chain Pickerel
![Picture](/uploads/1/9/7/0/19701521/8222196.jpg)
This fish was caught below the Mouth of Wilson Dam in Viginia, the bait of choice was a spinner bait. This fish was roughly 13".