Species profile
Grass Pickerel
Esox americanus vermiculatus
At a glance
Grass Pickerel (Esox americanus vermiculatus) is an IUCN Least Concern bony-fish species with specific harvest rules tracked in 1 of 65 jurisdictions covered by CatchRules.
Notable details
- The smallest North American pike, rarely exceeding 12 inches or a few ounces.
- Despite its tiny size, it's an aggressive ambush predator that strikes prey nearly its own length.
- Thrives in shallow, heavily vegetated streams and ponds across the central and eastern U.S.
- A subspecies of the Redfin Pickerel (Esox americanus), distinguished by finer vermiculate body markings.
- Tolerates warm, low-oxygen water that would stress or kill larger pike relatives.
Jurisdictions with rules for Grass Pickerel
Background
The American pickerels are two subspecies of Esox americanus, a species of freshwater fish in the pike family (family Esocidae) of order Esociformes: the redfin pickerel, E. americanus americanus Gmelin, 1789, and the grass pickerel, E. americanus vermiculatus Lesueur, 1846.
Background excerpt adapted from Wikipedia's Grass Pickerel article (CC BY-SA). Visit Wikipedia for the full entry.
Other bony fish on CatchRules
Photo credit: (c) Nick Tobler (Cowturtle), some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Nick Tobler (Cowturtle). Identification reference only — verify regulations with the issuing wildlife agency before retaining a catch.