Freshwater Fish of America - Northern pike

Spawning adults will begin to move upstream into shallow streams or inshore to flooded marsh areas to spawn as soon as the ice begins to break up or thaw in late winter to early spring. Though spawning seasons vary depending on location, northern pike in the Great Lakes region tend to spawn in April or May after winter ice leaves. Spawning generally occurs during daylight hours. Spawning females seek vegetation and  randomly broadcast up to 75,000 eggs which are fertilized by several individual males. The fertilized eggs are sticky and adhere readily to the surrounding submerged vegetation. Soon after spawning is completed, the adults move out of the nursery areas to deeper water habitat.