Lure Fishing for Pike
By Alex Clayton · Updated 23 October 2026
Lure fishing for pike works best when you keep it simple. A 6in (16cm) soft plastic on braid and a wire trace, counted down to the depth the fish are holding at and retrieved slowly, catches pike on rivers, canals, lakes and reservoirs across the UK. Start there before you spend money on anything else.
The rest is a short run of decisions, and the seven steps below follow the order you make them on the day: rules, kit, lure type, weight and colour, location, retrieve and landing. Get those right and most of the conflicting pike lure fishing tips online stop mattering.
This page is part of our wider pike fishing guide. If you would rather sit on a known spot and wait, deadbaiting for pike is the other main method, and fly fishing for pike is a third worth trying once you know where the fish live.
Step 1: Check the Rules Before You Cast
Pike are coarse fish, so the river close season applies to lure anglers in full. Canals and most stillwaters stay open while rivers shut, and that split is what catches people out.
| England and Wales | Scotland | Northern Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Licence | Rod licence from age 13 (free for 13 to 16). The standard licence covers up to 2 rods; a 12-month 3-rod licence is available. Fishing without one risks a fine of up to £2,500. | No rod licence, except in the Border Esk region. You need permission from the landowner or club. | Rod licence plus a permit from a Northern Ireland agency. |
| Close season | No coarse fishing on rivers, streams, drains and waterways other than canals from 15 March to 15 June. Most enclosed stillwaters and canals are open all year, subject to byelaws and venue rules. | Check with the club, permit issuer or landowner. | Generally no close season for pike and coarse fish, though game seasons apply on some waters. |
| Keeping pike | 1 pike up to 65cm per day from rivers, measured snout tip to tail fork. Wales has its own byelaws, and some venues ban taking pike. | Check local rules. | Check local rules. |
Sources: GOV.UK rod licence rules, GOV.UK fishing in Scotland and Northern Ireland, GOV.UK freshwater rod fishing rules and NI Direct fishing seasons.
In England and Wales, gaffs and tailers are banned and landing nets must be knotless and non-metallic (more in Step 7).
Licence prices change each April, so check our fishing licence guide before you buy, and see UK fishing seasons for dates by water.
By now you should have a licence, an open water and the venue rules read. If your local water is a river, plan your spring lure sessions on a canal or stillwater instead.
Step 2: Set Up a Lure Rod, Braid and Wire Trace
A bite-off is the worst outcome in pike fishing: the fish swims off with your lure’s hooks in its jaw. Most of the kit below exists to stop that.
- Pick a rod by casting weight. Match its rating to your lures. A 7 to 8ft rod rated roughly 20 to 80g is a common starting range for an all-round pike lure rod.
- Load the reel with braid. Braid has almost no stretch, so you feel every knock and the hooks set on the strike. Step up the breaking strain as your lures get bigger.
- Add a wire trace. Pike teeth cut through mono, fluorocarbon and braid. Make it long enough that the mainline can never reach the jaws, and longer for big lures. Length advice varies; see our guide to pike wire traces.
- Finish with a strong snap on the end of the trace so you can change lures in seconds.
To cover a wider range of lure sizes, predator angler Mick Brown suggests two rods: a lighter one with a baitrunner reel and 20lb braid, and a heavier 20 to 50g rod with a 4000 size reel and 30lb line for bigger lures. If you ever fish both at once, the standard licence covers two rods, the outermost rod butts must be no more than 3 metres apart and neither can be left unattended.
On Windermere I tend to carry one rod when I’m moving along the bank. Lures are about covering water, and a second rod slows that down.
| Setup | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| One rod | Roaming and short sessions | Narrower range of lure weights |
| Two rods | Small and big lures without retackling | More to carry |
By now you should have rod, reel, braid, trace and snap tied up and tested with a firm pull.
Step 3: Choose a Lure Type for the Water in Front of You
The best lure for pike is the one that fishes the depth the pike are holding at. A cheap soft plastic at the right depth will beat an expensive plug running over their heads.
| Lure type | What it does | Best use | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soft plastic shads | Swimming tail; depth set by the weight of the head | Your first lure on any water | Tails get chewed up by teeth |
| Jerkbaits (suspending or slow sinking) | Darts on a sharp rod twitch; suspending models hold depth on the pause | Slow, deliberate work | Trebles make unhooking harder |
| Glidebaits | Swings side to side on a sweep or slow crank | Lazy retrieves | Trebles; the action takes practice |
| Spinners and spinnerbaits | Flash and vibration | Murky water | Less depth control |
| Big lures | A large profile in the water | Showing pike a big meal | Needs a heavier rod and a longer trace |
Start with soft plastics. They are cheap, cast well at 6in (16cm) and can be rigged weedless for snaggy swims. Start pre-rigged, then rig your own on about a 6/0 jig hook for a 6in bait or a 5/0 for a 5in, with a stinger treble just behind the belly. Our guide to soft lures for pike covers rigging in depth.
Jerkbait fishing for pike is the natural next step. A jerkbait darts sideways when you snap the rod tip; a glidebait is the slower cousin, swinging in a wide arc on a long sweep.
Big pike lures are a choice, not a guarantee. Some anglers reason that a bigger profile puts off small fish, but the price is a heavier outfit.
Match shape and colour to local prey such as roach and rudd, though Mick Brown notes that a bright change of colour sometimes triggers a pike that has ignored everything else. For buying, see our pick of the best pike lures.
By now you should have a small box of 3 to 4 lure types.
- Best for beginners: pre-rigged soft plastic shads.
- Skip if you’re starting out: big lures, until your casting and kit are sorted.
Step 4: Match Lure Weight, Size and Colour to Depth and Clarity
One number does most of the work in lure fishing for pike: roughly 1g of lure weight per foot of depth. It gets you close enough on the first cast that the count-down in Step 6 only has to fine-tune.
| Water | Starting lure weight |
|---|---|
| Rivers and canals | About 5g |
| Lakes | About 10g |
| Deep reservoirs | Up to 30g |
Rivers and canals are often weedy and snaggy, so a weedless soft plastic is worth trying there. Windermere has plenty of deep water, and I’ve found I need noticeably heavier heads there than on shallower lakes to get the lure down to the fish in a sensible time.
If the lure never touches bottom on a long count, go up a few grams. If it snags every cast, go lighter or switch to a weedless rig.
Size is simpler. A 6in (16cm) lure is the all-round default for pike of all sizes, and it is the easiest size to cast. Change size only once depth and colour are sorted, because a bigger tail won’t save a lure fished at the wrong depth. Scaled down, the same patterns also catch zander and big perch, which is handy on mixed predator waters.
Colour follows water clarity:
| Conditions | Colours to try |
|---|---|
| Clear water, bright sun | Bright silver or green |
| Coloured water | Dark bronze, gold or brown |
Orange and red read as dark shades underwater, so treat them as dark colours. Check the underside of the lure as well as the back: pike usually approach from behind and below, so the belly is often the part they see first.
By now you should have a weight and colour chosen before the first cast. The verdict: take the weight from the depth chart and the colour from the clarity chart, and only then start swapping lures.
Step 5: Find the Pike Before You Fish Hard
Fifty casts at featureless open water is the classic blank lure session. Pike are ambush predators, and they sit where cover and prey fish meet.
Spend your casts on features:
- Weed edges and reed lines
- Drop-offs where shallow water shelves into deep
- Moorings, marinas, bridges and moored boats on canals
- Slacks and slower water off the main flow on rivers
Find the prey fish and the pike are rarely far away. Shoals of roach and rudd are the best clue on any water: look for fish topping at dawn, or for grebes and cormorants working one area.
Fan-cast each swim, covering left, centre and right, then change depth on the next set of casts. If nothing follows or takes after a couple of depth changes, move on. That mobility is the main advantage of lure fishing for pike over sitting behind static baits.
For a fuller look at watercraft by venue type, see our guide on where to find pike.
By now you should have 3 to 4 target spots planned for the session. On a new water, walk the bank first and pick your features before you tackle up.
Step 6: Work the Retrieve: Count Down, Twitch and Pause
The same lure can catch on one cast and do nothing on the next, and the difference is usually depth. The count-down method lets you search the water column instead of guessing.
- Cast out and let the lure sink on a slack line.
- Count until you feel it bump the bottom.
- On the next cast, stop at a lower number to fish higher in the water.
- Keep varying the count until you find the fish, then repeat that count.
Once you know the depth, match the retrieve to the lure:
- Soft plastics: slow and steady, or lift and drop along the bottom.
- Jerkbaits: twitch, twitch, pause. Suspending models hold their depth on the pause, which is often when the take comes.
- Glidebaits: a long sweep of the rod or a slow crank of the reel.
- Spinners: a steady wind, just fast enough to keep the blade turning.
Watch the lure into the margin on every cast. Pike often follow without taking, and a short pause or a figure-of-eight with the rod tip at your feet can turn a follow into a take. A follow also tells you the depth and lure are close, so give that swim a few more casts.
The season tells you where to start. In spring and autumn, begin near the surface and work down. In winter, start at the bottom and work up, and slow everything down in cold water. Rivers in England and Wales reopen on 16 June (see Step 1), so spring lure fishing for pike belongs on canals and stillwaters.
By now you should have a depth-and-speed routine you repeat on every swim.
- Best for: methodically searching new or deep water.
- Skip if: you’re fishing a shallow, weedy canal with little depth to count through. Wind slowly just over the weed instead.
Step 7: Land and Unhook Pike Safely
Picture a pike thrashing in the margin with a jerkbait in its jaw and a second treble swinging loose near your hand. That is when fish and anglers get hurt, and the fix is having everything ready before you cast.
Have this kit with you:
- A large knotless, non-metallic landing net (gaffs and tailers are banned in England and Wales)
- An unhooking mat
- Long forceps
- Hook or wire cutters
Pinching down barbs, or using barbless hooks, makes unhooking lure-caught pike far easier. Do it on every treble in your box at home, not on the bank with cold hands. Keep the forceps and cutters in a jacket pocket you can reach with one hand, not at the bottom of a bag.
Net the fish head first and leave it in the net on the mat while you unhook it. If a treble is buried or tangled in the mesh, cut it: a new treble is cheap, and wrestling one out harms the fish. For a step-by-step method, see our guide on how to unhook a pike.
Support the body when you lift it, keep it wet and return it promptly. Foul-hooked fish must be returned alive, and if you are thinking of keeping one, check the take limit in Step 1 and the venue rules first. Our guide to unhooking and handling fish covers handling across species.
By now you should have the pike back in the water and your kit reset for the next cast. The verdict: if cutters and long forceps aren’t in your bag, don’t cast a treble-hooked lure.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best lure for pike?
A 6in (16cm) soft plastic shad is the most versatile starting lure for pike. It casts easily and works on rivers, canals and lakes. Once you are confident, add a jerkbait for slow work and a spinner for coloured water. See our pick of the best pike lures for specific recommendations.
What size lure should I use for pike?
Around 6in (16cm) is a sound all-round size for pike of all sizes, and it is the easiest to cast. Bigger lures give a larger profile when you want one, but they need a heavier rod and a longer wire trace. Step 4 covers matching weight to depth.
Can I lure fish for pike on rivers in the close season?
Not in England and Wales. Rivers, streams and drains are closed to coarse fishing from 15 March to 15 June, though canals and most stillwaters stay open subject to byelaws and venue rules. Northern Ireland generally has no close season for pike. In Scotland, check with the club or landowner. Our fishing seasons guide has the full picture.
Do I need a wire trace for lure fishing?
A wire trace isn't a legal requirement, but you should always use one for pike. Their teeth cut through mono, fluorocarbon and braid, and a bite-off leaves the lure and hooks in the fish. Make it long enough that the mainline can't reach the jaws. Our guide to pike wire traces covers length and materials.
Is lure fishing better than deadbaiting for pike?
Neither method wins outright. Lures let you cover water and find active fish, while deadbaits suit waiting on a known spot, and many anglers lean on them in cold weather. See our guide to pike deadbaiting, or try fly fishing for pike for a third approach.