Common Names
Silver phase northern pike are commonly called silver pike. Some anglers refer to them as blue pike, but this name can be confusing. Blue walleyes were common in Lake Erie in the early 1900s but are now thought extinct. Many anglers referred to blue walleyes as "blue pike."
Silver Pike Appearance
Silver pike are similar to northern pike, except in coloration and in some body features. Silver pike are silvery-blue and have no spots. They have clear fins and pointed tails. The eyes tend to be proportionately larger and the jaw straighter than northern pike.
Northern Pike Appearance
Northern pike are long, slender fish with a duck-bill mouth filled with sharp teeth. They have white or off-white spots on a green background. Their fins are yellow or red with black stripes and their tails are rounded.
Silver Pike Range
Silver pike are uncommon, but occur wherever northern pike live. Northern pike live in the Northern Hemisphere in Europe, Asia and North America. Anglers have documented silver pike in Big Sandy Lake in Saskatchewan, the St. Lawrence River in Ontario, Lac Seul in Ontario, and other places.
Silver Pike Breeding
Silver pike are uncommon, so scientists know little about them. Silver pike were thought to be genetic mutations of northern pike. Scientists now think silver pike will only breed with other silver pike. Laboratory crosses between silver pike and northern pike have produced offspring with coloration that resembles neither parent.
