Wild Guide: Redfin Pickerel (Grass Pickerel)

Wild Guide: Redfin Pickerel (Grass Pickerel)

Esox americanus

Redfin pickerel, also known as grass pickerel, have duckbill-shaped snouts, large mouths with many sharp teeth, and a single dorsal fin, much like other pikes. Redfin pickerel prefer clear water, little current, and thick vegetation. They can be found in the Southeastern Lowlands in natural lakes, sloughs, borrow pits, and sluggish sections of ditches and streams. In the Ozarks, they frequent creeks, spring pools, protected inlets, and overflow waters along major streams.

Did You Know?

Redfin pickerel seldom reach a size that pique anglers’ interest. However, their sleek, muscular, torpedo-shaped bodies, with fins positioned in the back for quick bursts of speed, perfect for their lie-in-wait predatory biology, is worthy of admiration.