How to identify northern pike
Esox lucius · Esocidae
The characters that identify northern pike, ranked by how far each one can be trusted on its own.
Safety
Injury while handling fish — Can cause injury needing treatment
Pike teeth and gill rakers cut cleanly and deeply, and the wounds are contaminated. A hand slipped into the gill opening from the wrong side, or a pike that shakes its head while being unhooked, produces cuts that frequently need medical attention.
What reduces it: Unhook with long forceps rather than fingers, lift the gill cover from the OUTSIDE, keep the fish on a wet mat where it cannot thrash onto a hard surface, and never put a hand in the mouth of a pike that is not properly controlled. Carry a means of dealing with a bleeding hand. And do not create the situation at all in warm conditions: the specialist guidance is not to fish for pike once the water reaches 18°C.
Worse when:
- Working alone, where a serious cut cannot be dealt with quickly
- Trebles still in the fish, which turn any head shake into a hooking risk for you as well
- Cold hands, which lose the fine control that keeps fingers where you intended
Hooks and barbs — Can cause injury needing treatment
Pike fishing uses treble hooks in and around a mouth full of teeth, frequently two trebles per bait. A fish that shakes with a treble loose in its jaw can drive the free points into whatever is holding it.
What reduces it: Crush or file the barbs on lure and deadbait trebles: it costs very few fish and transforms both fish welfare and what happens when a point goes into a person. Control the fish before the hooks, not the other way round.
Look at this first
Look at the cheek, not the pattern. A northern pike has scales covering the whole cheek; a muskellunge has scales on the upper half only. The markings that both fish are famous for are the least reliable thing about them, and the cheek is countable in a photograph.
Diagnostic — settles it on its own
Each of these settles the identification on its own. If one is clear, you have your answer.
A fully scaled cheek
Run a thumb over the cheek between the eye and the gill cover: on a pike it is scaled all the way down. On a muskellunge the lower half is bare. The gill cover behind it is scaled only on the upper half in both species, so it is the cheek that separates them.
Five or fewer sensory pores under each side of the jaw
Turn the fish over and count the pits along the underside of the lower jaw. Pike usually show five per side; muskellunge show six to nine. Countable, structural, and independent of colour entirely.
Supporting — use with other characters
Real characters that are not conclusive by themselves. Use two or three together.
A long body with the fins set far back
Dorsal and anal fins sit close to the tail, giving the accelerating body plan every Esox shares. It identifies the genus rather than the species.
A broad, flattened, duck-billed snout
Unlike anything else in European fresh water, and the character that makes a pike unmistakable where no muskellunge occur. In North America it is shared with the other Esox.
Suggestive only — varies with condition
Hints only. These vary with condition, season, water and how long the fish has been out of it, and a fish that contradicts them is still the same species.
Pale bean-shaped marks on a darker flank
The classic pike pattern, and the reverse of a muskellunge's dark marks on a pale ground. It is the character most anglers use and it varies with age, water clarity and population — treat it as a hint that prompts you to check the cheek.
What it gets confused with
- Muskellunge in North America, seriously and often. Cheek scaling and jaw pores.
- Tiger musky, the pike × muskellunge hybrid, which is intermediate in both characters.
- Chain pickerel and other small Esox, which are smaller and differently marked.
Side by side: Northern pike vs Muskellunge, Northern pike vs Chain pickerel.
Where this stops working
In Europe there is nothing to confuse a pike with, and the whole difficulty is North American. Hybrids between pike and muskellunge occur naturally and show intermediate cheek scaling and pore counts, so a fish that will not resolve may genuinely be a cross. Pattern is unreliable enough that some muskellunge are effectively unmarked. Where retention rules differ between the two species, get the cheek and the pores checked before deciding anything.
The full record
This page covers identification only. The Northern pike record covers behaviour, lifecycle, distribution, handling and the sources behind all of it.
Reviewed 2026-08-13.
More about this fish
Telling it apart is one question. Here are the others.
Similar and related fish
- BleakBleak are taken alongside roach in open water, particularly by smaller pike working surface shoals in summer.
Chain pickerelSeparated by chain-link markings against pale bean-shaped spots, and by the dark bar below the eye.- CiscoIn North American lakes cisco are a principal pike prey, and pike that key on cisco move deeper and further from cover than the classic weedbed picture suggests.
MuskellungeCongeners in Esox that share water across much of the range and are separated by the markings: pike pale on dark, muskellunge dark on pale. They hybridise naturally.
RoachRoach are among the most important prey species for pike across their European range, which is why so much pike lure design is silver and roach-shaped.
What these connections rest on (5)
Scientific evidence — 5 connections
Supported by peer-reviewed research or fisheries science. The sources are listed and can be checked.
Bleak
Recorded diet evidence identifies Alburnus alburnus as a food item of this predator at species level. The edge is written at that granularity and no further.
- FishBase: a global information system on fishes — Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds. — FishBase Consortium (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Food items recorded for this predator, including Alburnus alburnus.States this directlyPassage read and verified
- FAO Species Identification Guides for Fishery Purposes and the FAO Species Catalogues — Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Species account describing the diet of this predator in the region where Alburnus alburnus occurs.Background and mechanism onlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
Chain pickerel
An identification comparison naming both binomials: Esox niger and Esox lucius.
- FishBase: a global information system on fishes — Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds. — FishBase Consortium (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Morphological and distributional data for Esox niger and for Esox lucius.States this directlyPassage read and verified
- The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species — International Union for Conservation of Nature (Conservation authority)Relied on for: Separate assessments treating Esox niger and Esox lucius as distinct species.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
Cisco
Recorded diet evidence identifies Coregonus artedi as a food item of this predator at species level. The edge is written at that granularity and no further.
- FishBase: a global information system on fishes — Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds. — FishBase Consortium (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Food items recorded for this predator, including Coregonus artedi.States this directlyPassage read and verified
- FAO Species Identification Guides for Fishery Purposes and the FAO Species Catalogues — Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Species account describing the diet of this predator in the region where Coregonus artedi occurs.Background and mechanism onlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
Muskellunge
A taxonomic and identification comparison naming both binomials.
- FishBase: a global information system on fishes — Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds. — FishBase Consortium (Scientific institute)Relied on for: That Esox masquinongy is an Esocidae of the genus Esox, sharing range with Esox lucius across the Great Lakes and St Lawrence.States this directlyPassage read and verified
- Pike: Biology and Exploitation — Chapman & Hall (Fish and Fisheries Series 19), 1996 (Scientific literature)Relied on for: Esocid morphology and the characters separating congeneric pikes.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
Roach
Pike diet composition is well studied and cyprinids including roach are consistently recorded as a principal prey group where both occur. This is a claim about the world and is held to a scientific standard.
- Pike: Biology and Exploitation — Chapman & Hall (Fish and Fisheries Series 19), 1996 (Scientific literature)Relied on for: Pike feeding ecology and prey composition, including the predominance of cyprinid prey and specifically Rutilus rutilus where the two co-occur.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- FishBase: a global information system on fishes — Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds. — FishBase Consortium (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Recorded diet composition for Esox lucius.States this directlyPassage read and verified
How it is caught
- Darkhouse spearingDarkhouse spearing is a winter tradition of the upper American Midwest and the Nordic countries: a hole cut in ice, a darkened shelter over it so the angler can see down, a decoy worked below, and a spear. It works on pike specifically because a pike will approach and hold beside a slowly worked decoy rather than fleeing, which is the same ambush behaviour that makes it takeable on a deadbait.
- DeadbaitingThe standard cold-water approach, and it works because scavenging is normal pike behaviour rather than an aberration.
- Float-tube fishingA float tube gives access to shallow weedy bays on waters with no launch, though a pike alongside a float tube puts the angler's legs in the water beside a fish with the dentition to matter, which is a real and specific reason for care.
- Kayak fishingA kayak gives access to stillwater and river pike swims unreachable from a bank, and the quiet approach suits an ambush predator in shallow water.
- SpinningThe traditional way to cover water for pike, and still the fastest way to locate them in unfamiliar water.
- TrollingThe method of choice on large waters where pike are scattered and the problem is finding them rather than tempting them.
What these connections rest on (6)
Practitioner consensus — 6 connections
Widely and independently recommended by experienced anglers and specialist sources. This is real angling knowledge, not proof: controlled evidence for it is limited, and FishingHQ records it as convention rather than as a demonstrated effect.
Darkhouse spearing
Established angling practice for this species, recorded as convention. The note states the property of the animal or its water that makes the method the answer.
- Fishers' Craft and Lettered Art: Tracts on Fishing from the End of the Middle Ages — University of Toronto Press, 1997 (Scientific literature)Relied on for: That fishing practices develop around the quarry and water available to them, and the historical method of reading such traditions.Background and mechanism onlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- FAO fishing gear types and fishing technology information — Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Classification and operation of the gear type described.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
Deadbaiting
Deadbaiting for pike is described as established practice across independent specialist works from different authorial lineages. There is no controlled comparison of deadbaiting against alternatives, so this is recorded as convention rather than as a demonstrated superiority.
- Pike and the Pike Angler — Stanley Paul, 1981 (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Deadbaiting method for pike, its rationale and its seasonal application.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- Freshwater Fishing — Macdonald & Jane's, 1975 (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Deadbaiting described as standard predator practice within a general compendium of British method.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
Float-tube fishing
Established angling practice for this species, recorded as convention. The note states the property of the animal or its water that makes the method the answer.
- Freshwater Fishing — Macdonald & Jane's, 1975 (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Freshwater angling technique and its application to this species.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- Angling Times — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Contemporary practice for this species in the British and European coarse press.Background and mechanism onlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
Kayak fishing
Established angling practice for this species, recorded as convention. The note states the property of the animal or its water that makes the method the answer.
- Freshwater Fishing — Macdonald & Jane's, 1975 (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Freshwater angling technique and its application to this species.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- Angling Times — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Contemporary practice for this species in the British and European coarse press.Background and mechanism onlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
Spinning
Long-established and independently described. Recorded as convention.
- Pike and the Pike Angler — Stanley Paul, 1981 (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Spinning and lure work for pike.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- Still-Water Angling — MacGibbon & Kee, 1953 (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Lure fishing for predators in stillwater, described from an independent tradition.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
Trolling
Established practice on large lakes and reservoirs, independently described.
- Pike and the Pike Angler — Stanley Paul, 1981 (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Trolling for pike on large waters.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- Angling Times — Bauer Media (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Contemporary trolling practice for pike as described by multiple independent contributors.Citation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
Where it lives
- CanalsPresent throughout, holding against what little structure a uniform channel offers — bridges, moorings, marina entrances and far-bank cover.
- Floodplains, backwaters and oxbowsThe temperate case, and the reason this record is not only about the tropics: pike spawn in flooded marginal vegetation and use backwaters and slack water as refuge when a river is in flood.
- Gravel pitsClear water, complex structure and a prey base of roach and bream produce very large pike, holding on bars and drop-offs rather than in weed.
- Lowland riversIn rivers pike hold in slacks, on the inside of bends and beside structure — the same ambush logic applied to moving water.
- Lowland stillwatersPike are strongly associated with weed, margins and structure in standing water, which is where their ambush strategy works.
- ReservoirsReaches exceptional size in trout reservoirs, feeding on stocked fish in open water — one of the clearest cases where a managed fishery creates a predator fishery.
What these connections rest on (6)
Scientific evidence — 6 connections
Supported by peer-reviewed research or fisheries science. The sources are listed and can be checked.
Canals
Habitat association recorded for the species, in an environment the catalogue could not express until Sprint 30 modelled it.
- Freshwater Fishes of the British Isles — HarperCollins (New Naturalist 75), 1992 (Reference work)Relied on for: Habitat association and distribution of European freshwater fishes, including occurrence in artificial and modified waters.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- FishBase: a global information system on fishes — Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds. — FishBase Consortium (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Habitat association, depth range and water-type tolerance recorded for the species.States this directlyPassage read and verified
Floodplains, backwaters and oxbows
A habitat association resting on the regional identification and fisheries literature rather than on angling report.
- The Flood Pulse Concept in River-Floodplain Systems — Canadian Special Publication of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 106, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Ottawa, 1989 (Scientific literature)Relied on for: That fish move laterally onto the inundated floodplain to feed and breed and return to the channel as water falls, and that floodplain inundation drives production in large river systems.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- FAO Species Identification Guides for Fishery Purposes and the FAO Species Catalogues — Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Habitat association and distribution of the species concerned.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
Gravel pits
Habitat association recorded for the species, in an environment the catalogue could not express until Sprint 30 modelled it.
- Freshwater Fishes of the British Isles — HarperCollins (New Naturalist 75), 1992 (Reference work)Relied on for: Habitat association and distribution of European freshwater fishes, including occurrence in artificial and modified waters.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- FishBase: a global information system on fishes — Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds. — FishBase Consortium (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Habitat association, depth range and water-type tolerance recorded for the species.States this directlyPassage read and verified
Lowland rivers
Recorded habitat association across the species' range.
- FishBase: a global information system on fishes — Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds. — FishBase Consortium (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Habitat records for Esox lucius including riverine populations.States this directlyPassage read and verified
- Freshwater Fishes of the British Isles — HarperCollins (New Naturalist 75), 1992 (Reference work)Relied on for: Riverine pike distribution and habitat use in the British Isles.FishingHQ's interpretation of what it saysCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
Lowland stillwaters
Habitat association is well documented and follows directly from the species' ambush hunting strategy.
- FishBase: a global information system on fishes — Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds. — FishBase Consortium (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Habitat and ecology records for Esox lucius.States this directlyPassage read and verified
- Pike: Biology and Exploitation — Chapman & Hall (Fish and Fisheries Series 19), 1996 (Scientific literature)Relied on for: The relationship between pike habitat selection, structure and ambush hunting.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
Reservoirs
Habitat association recorded for the species, in an environment the catalogue could not express until Sprint 30 modelled it.
- Freshwater Fishes of the British Isles — HarperCollins (New Naturalist 75), 1992 (Reference work)Relied on for: Habitat association and distribution of European freshwater fishes, including occurrence in artificial and modified waters.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- FishBase: a global information system on fishes — Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds. — FishBase Consortium (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Habitat association, depth range and water-type tolerance recorded for the species.States this directlyPassage read and verified
Where you will find it
- CanadaPresent across essentially the whole country in lakes, slow rivers and weedy bays, and the shield's most accessible large predator.
- GermanyPresent inland across the country and, unusually, in the brackish Baltic lagoons behind the islands, where salinity is low enough for a freshwater predator to live and spawn in what is nominally the sea.
- Lake GenevaPresent in the shallow weedy bays and river mouths at either end of the lake, reaching substantial sizes on the available forage.
- Lake VänernAbundant through an archipelago of thousands of islands and skerries, reaching specimen sizes, and the reason a second group of visitors comes.
- Loch LomondPike are the loch's best-known quarry, favoured by the shallow, rich, island-scattered southern basin.
- Lough CorribAbundant in the lough and the basis of a substantial fishery, with a long-running argument attached about management on a wild trout water.
- Lough ErneAcross both loughs with the larger fish tending to come from the deep open lower lough, supported by a very large biomass of coarse fish and a modern catch-and-release culture.
- Moroccan mountain and reservoir fresh waterIntroduced deliberately into the reservoir system during the twentieth century and now the principal predator of those fisheries.
17 more
- Northern Ireland Fishing regions
- Sweden Fishing regions
- The Baltic Sea Fishing regions
- The Baltic states Fishing regions
- The English canal network Fishing regions
- The English trout reservoirs Fishing regions
- The Fens and their drains Fishing regions
- The Finnish lake district Fishing regions
- The IJsselmeer Fishing regions
- The Lake District lakes Fishing regions
- The Netherlands Fishing regions
- The Norfolk Broads Fishing regions
- The Republic of Ireland Fishing regions
- The Rhine Fishing regions
- The River Tay Fishing regions
- The River Trent Fishing regions
- The Shannon system Fishing regions
What these connections rest on (25)
Scientific evidence — 25 connections
Supported by peer-reviewed research or fisheries science. The sources are listed and can be checked.
Canada
A distribution association between an animal and a described water body, which is what the `inhabits` predicate is for — the kind of water rather than a named mark.
- FishBase: a global information system on fishes — Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds. — FishBase Consortium (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Distribution, habitat association and depth range recorded for the species, including its occurrence in the water body concerned.States this directlyPassage read and verified
- The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species — International Union for Conservation of Nature (Conservation authority)Relied on for: Assessment and range account for the species, including the systems and coasts it occupies.Background and mechanism onlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
Germany
That a species occurs in these waters, drawn from distribution science and stock assessment. It is a statement about where the animal lives and is not a statement that anybody will catch one, still less where.
- Freshwater Fishes of the British Isles — HarperCollins (New Naturalist 75), 1992 (Reference work)Relied on for: Distribution, habitat requirement and life history of European freshwater fishes, including their occurrence across the continental range named.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- FishBase: a global information system on fishes — Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds. — FishBase Consortium (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Recorded distribution and habitat association of the freshwater and migratory species named.States this directlyPassage read and verified
Lake Geneva
A distributional claim taken from reference works and databases on the fishes of the region rather than from angling report. It states presence and asserts nothing about a fishery.
- FishBase: a global information system on fishes — Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds. — FishBase Consortium (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Distribution, habitat association, life history and size recorded for the species concerned.States this directlyPassage read and verified
- Freshwater Fishes of the British Isles — HarperCollins (New Naturalist 75), 1992 (Reference work)Relied on for: Biology, distribution, life history and conservation status of northern European freshwater and diadromous fishes.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
Lake Vänern
A distributional claim taken from reference works and databases on the fishes of the region rather than from angling report. It states presence and asserts nothing about a fishery.
- Pike and the Pike Angler — Stanley Paul, 1981 (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Predator angling practice on large waters, including deep-water location, trolling and the handling of very large fish.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- Pike: Biology and Exploitation — Chapman & Hall (Fish and Fisheries Series 19), 1996 (Scientific literature)Relied on for: The biology, growth, feeding ecology and habitat use of pike across its Holarctic range.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
Loch Lomond
A distributional claim taken from reference works on the fishes of the region rather than from angling report. It states presence and asserts nothing about a fishery.
- FishBase: a global information system on fishes — Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds. — FishBase Consortium (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Distribution, habitat association, life history and depth range recorded for the species concerned.States this directlyPassage read and verified
- Freshwater Fishes of the British Isles — HarperCollins (New Naturalist 75), 1992 (Reference work)Relied on for: Biology, distribution and conservation status of British and Irish freshwater and diadromous fishes.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- The Fishes of the British Isles and North-West Europe — Macmillan, 1969 (Reference work)Relied on for: Distribution, habitat and biology of the fishes of the British Isles and north-west Europe.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
Lough Corrib
A distribution association between an animal and a described water body, which is what the `inhabits` predicate is for — the kind of water rather than a named mark.
- Freshwater Fishes of the British Isles — HarperCollins (New Naturalist 75), 1992 (Reference work)Relied on for: Distribution, habitat association and ecology of British and Irish freshwater fishes, including occurrence in the water body concerned.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- FishBase: a global information system on fishes — Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds. — FishBase Consortium (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Distribution, habitat association and life history recorded for the species.Background and mechanism onlyPassage read and verified
Lough Erne
A claim that a place contains the ground, water and seasonal conditions the species is associated with. It is a distributional statement about the world, it rests on the regional reference literature, and it deliberately asserts nothing about access, permission or catch.
- Freshwater Fishes of the British Isles — HarperCollins (New Naturalist 75), 1992 (Reference work)Relied on for: Distribution, ecology and conservation status of the freshwater fishes of the British Isles, including in artificial and modified waters.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- Environment Agency fisheries management, byelaws and rod licensing information — Environment Agency (Government fisheries body)Relied on for: Fisheries monitoring, water quality and species distribution in English rivers, canals and still waters.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
Moroccan mountain and reservoir fresh water
A distribution claim about the world, so it rests on the reference datasets rather than on angling report. FHQ-V005 requires it.
- FishBase: a global information system on fishes — Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds. — FishBase Consortium (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Distribution, habitat association and depth range recorded for the species, including its occurrence in the water body concerned.States this directlyPassage read and verified
- FAO Species Identification Guides for Fishery Purposes and the FAO Species Catalogues — Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Distribution, habitat, depth and fishery accounts for the species of the eastern central Atlantic and Mediterranean.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
Northern Ireland
A distribution claim about the world, so it rests on the reference works rather than on angling report. FHQ-V005 requires it.
- FishBase: a global information system on fishes — Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds. — FishBase Consortium (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Distribution, habitat association, water-type tolerance and occurrence records for the species, including its presence in the countries concerned.States this directlyPassage read and verified
- The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species — International Union for Conservation of Nature (Conservation authority)Relied on for: Assessment and range account for the species, including the countries and systems it occupies and its population trend within them.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
Sweden
That a species occurs in these waters, drawn from distribution science and stock assessment. It is a statement about where the animal lives and is not a statement that anybody will catch one, still less where.
- Freshwater Fishes of the British Isles — HarperCollins (New Naturalist 75), 1992 (Reference work)Relied on for: Distribution, habitat requirement and life history of European freshwater fishes, including their occurrence across the continental range named.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- FishBase: a global information system on fishes — Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds. — FishBase Consortium (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Recorded distribution and habitat association of the freshwater and migratory species named.States this directlyPassage read and verified
The Baltic Sea
Occurrence of the species in this system or along this coast: a statement about the animal's distribution, not a venue recommendation.
- Freshwater Fishes of the British Isles — HarperCollins (New Naturalist 75), 1992 (Reference work)Relied on for: Distribution and habitat association of European freshwater fishes, including their occurrence in brackish and coastal waters.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- FishBase: a global information system on fishes — Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds. — FishBase Consortium (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Salinity tolerance and distribution recorded for the species.States this directlyPassage read and verified
The Baltic states
That a species occurs in these waters, drawn from distribution science and stock assessment. It is a statement about where the animal lives and is not a statement that anybody will catch one, still less where.
- Freshwater Fishes of the British Isles — HarperCollins (New Naturalist 75), 1992 (Reference work)Relied on for: Distribution, habitat requirement and life history of European freshwater fishes, including their occurrence across the continental range named.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- FishBase: a global information system on fishes — Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds. — FishBase Consortium (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Recorded distribution and habitat association of the freshwater and migratory species named.States this directlyPassage read and verified
The English canal network
A claim that a place contains the ground, water and seasonal conditions the species is associated with. It is a distributional statement about the world, it rests on the regional reference literature, and it deliberately asserts nothing about access, permission or catch.
- Freshwater Fishes of the British Isles — HarperCollins (New Naturalist 75), 1992 (Reference work)Relied on for: Distribution, ecology and conservation status of the freshwater fishes of the British Isles, including in artificial and modified waters.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- Environment Agency fisheries management, byelaws and rod licensing information — Environment Agency (Government fisheries body)Relied on for: Fisheries monitoring, water quality and species distribution in English rivers, canals and still waters.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
The English trout reservoirs
A claim that a place contains the ground, water and seasonal conditions the species is associated with. It is a distributional statement about the world, it rests on the regional reference literature, and it deliberately asserts nothing about access, permission or catch.
- Freshwater Fishes of the British Isles — HarperCollins (New Naturalist 75), 1992 (Reference work)Relied on for: Distribution, ecology and conservation status of the freshwater fishes of the British Isles, including in artificial and modified waters.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- Environment Agency fisheries management, byelaws and rod licensing information — Environment Agency (Government fisheries body)Relied on for: Fisheries monitoring, water quality and species distribution in English rivers, canals and still waters.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
The Fens and their drains
A distributional claim about where a species occurs, which is a claim about the world and rests on the reference literature rather than on angling report.
- Freshwater Fishes of the British Isles — HarperCollins (New Naturalist 75), 1992 (Reference work)Relied on for: Distribution, habitat association and ecology of the freshwater fishes of the British Isles.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- FishBase: a global information system on fishes — Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds. — FishBase Consortium (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Distribution, habitat association and life history recorded for the species.States this directlyPassage read and verified
The Finnish lake district
A claim that a place contains the ground, water and seasonal conditions the species is associated with. It is a distributional statement about the world, it rests on the regional reference literature, and it deliberately asserts nothing about access, permission or catch.
- Freshwater Fishes of the British Isles — HarperCollins (New Naturalist 75), 1992 (Reference work)Relied on for: Distribution, ecology and conservation status of European freshwater and migratory fishes, including in modified and artificial waters.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- FishBase: a global information system on fishes — Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds. — FishBase Consortium (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Recorded distribution, habitat association and life history for the freshwater and migratory species named.States this directlyPassage read and verified
The IJsselmeer
A distributional claim taken from reference works and databases on the fishes of the region rather than from angling report. It states presence and asserts nothing about a fishery.
- Pike and the Pike Angler — Stanley Paul, 1981 (Specialist angling publication)Relied on for: Predator angling practice on large waters, including deep-water location, trolling and the handling of very large fish.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- Pike: Biology and Exploitation — Chapman & Hall (Fish and Fisheries Series 19), 1996 (Scientific literature)Relied on for: The biology, growth, feeding ecology and habitat use of pike across its Holarctic range.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
The Lake District lakes
A claim that a place contains the ground, water and seasonal conditions the species is associated with. It is a distributional statement about the world, it rests on the regional reference literature, and it deliberately asserts nothing about access, permission or catch.
- Freshwater Fishes of the British Isles — HarperCollins (New Naturalist 75), 1992 (Reference work)Relied on for: Distribution, habitat and conservation status of British freshwater fishes, including the isolated glacial-relict populations of northern England.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- Environment Agency fisheries management, byelaws and rod licensing information — Environment Agency (Government fisheries body)Relied on for: Fisheries monitoring, water quality and species distribution in English rivers and still waters.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
The Netherlands
That a species occurs in these waters, drawn from distribution science and stock assessment. It is a statement about where the animal lives and is not a statement that anybody will catch one, still less where.
- Freshwater Fishes of the British Isles — HarperCollins (New Naturalist 75), 1992 (Reference work)Relied on for: Distribution, habitat requirement and life history of European freshwater fishes, including their occurrence across the continental range named.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- FishBase: a global information system on fishes — Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds. — FishBase Consortium (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Recorded distribution and habitat association of the freshwater and migratory species named.States this directlyPassage read and verified
The Norfolk Broads
A distributional claim taken from reference works on the fishes of the region rather than from angling report. It states presence and asserts nothing about a fishery.
- FishBase: a global information system on fishes — Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds. — FishBase Consortium (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Distribution, habitat association, life history and depth range recorded for the species concerned.States this directlyPassage read and verified
- Freshwater Fishes of the British Isles — HarperCollins (New Naturalist 75), 1992 (Reference work)Relied on for: Biology, distribution and conservation status of British and Irish freshwater and diadromous fishes.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- The Fishes of the British Isles and North-West Europe — Macmillan, 1969 (Reference work)Relied on for: Distribution, habitat and biology of the fishes of the British Isles and north-west Europe.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
The Republic of Ireland
A distribution claim about the world, so it rests on the reference works rather than on angling report. FHQ-V005 requires it.
- FishBase: a global information system on fishes — Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds. — FishBase Consortium (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Distribution, habitat association, water-type tolerance and occurrence records for the species, including its presence in the countries concerned.States this directlyPassage read and verified
- The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species — International Union for Conservation of Nature (Conservation authority)Relied on for: Assessment and range account for the species, including the countries and systems it occupies and its population trend within them.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
The Rhine
A claim that a place contains the ground, water and seasonal conditions the species is associated with. It is a distributional statement about the world, it rests on the regional reference literature, and it deliberately asserts nothing about access, permission or catch.
- Freshwater Fishes of the British Isles — HarperCollins (New Naturalist 75), 1992 (Reference work)Relied on for: Distribution, ecology and conservation status of European freshwater and migratory fishes, including in modified and artificial waters.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- FishBase: a global information system on fishes — Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds. — FishBase Consortium (Scientific institute)Relied on for: Recorded distribution, habitat association and life history for the freshwater and migratory species named.States this directlyPassage read and verified
The River Tay
A claim that a place contains the ground, water and seasonal conditions the species is associated with. It is a distributional statement about the world, it rests on the regional reference literature, and it deliberately asserts nothing about access, permission or catch.
- Freshwater Fishes of the British Isles — HarperCollins (New Naturalist 75), 1992 (Reference work)Relied on for: Distribution, ecology and conservation status of the freshwater fishes of the British Isles, including in artificial and modified waters.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- Environment Agency fisheries management, byelaws and rod licensing information — Environment Agency (Government fisheries body)Relied on for: Fisheries monitoring, water quality and species distribution in English rivers, canals and still waters.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
The River Trent
A claim that a place contains the ground, water and seasonal conditions the species is associated with. It is a distributional statement about the world, it rests on the regional reference literature, and it deliberately asserts nothing about access, permission or catch.
- Freshwater Fishes of the British Isles — HarperCollins (New Naturalist 75), 1992 (Reference work)Relied on for: Distribution, habitat and conservation status of British freshwater fishes, including the isolated glacial-relict populations of northern England.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- Environment Agency fisheries management, byelaws and rod licensing information — Environment Agency (Government fisheries body)Relied on for: Fisheries monitoring, water quality and species distribution in English rivers and still waters.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
The Shannon system
A claim that a place contains the ground, water and seasonal conditions the species is associated with. It is a distributional statement about the world, it rests on the regional reference literature, and it deliberately asserts nothing about access, permission or catch.
- Freshwater Fishes of the British Isles — HarperCollins (New Naturalist 75), 1992 (Reference work)Relied on for: Distribution, ecology and conservation status of the freshwater fishes of the British Isles, including in artificial and modified waters.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly
- Environment Agency fisheries management, byelaws and rod licensing information — Environment Agency (Government fisheries body)Relied on for: Fisheries monitoring, water quality and species distribution in English rivers, canals and still waters.States this directlyCitation checked — the work exists and is described correctly