Northern Pike Esox lucius are native to the mid-western United States, parts of Alaska, and the Saskatchewan River drainage in Montana (Wydoski and Whitney 2003).  Northern Pike are a highly invasive fish species that have been shown to significantly reduce prey fish densities and have the potential to cause large-scale changes in fish communities, even resulting in species elimination (He and Kitchell 1990; McMahon and Bennett 1996).  Northern Pike pose significant threats to the Columbia River ecosystem including predation of native species, introductions of wide variety of parasites and disease, and competition with other species for food resources (Baxter and Neufeld 2015).

Northern Pike are a severe threat to the Lake Roosevelt ecosystem.  The lake supports native Redband Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss, kokanee O. nerka, Burbot Lota lota, White Sturgeon Acipenser transmontanus, and other native minnows and suckers.  The ecological consequences, both to fish and other animals, have the potential to be devastating.

Northern Pike typically spawn in shallow water (<0.3 m) in the late winter or early spring when water temperatures reach 8.9 °C (48 °F).  Northern Pike grow rapidly within the first two years and reach sexual maturity between ages 3 and 5.  Pike prefer marshy habitats with dense vegetation in streams, lakes and large rivers.  They occupy littoral habitats, but prefer cool water which causes them to head to deeper water in the summer.  Northern Pike are considered an ambush predator and will feed on a variety of organisms up to 75% of their body length.

Northern Pike were first collected in the Pend Oreille River system in 2004, which empties into Lake Roosevelt near the Canadian border.  The unchecked population exploded and increased from 665 in 2006 to >10,000 in 2011 (Bean et al. 2011; Bean 2014; King and Lee 2016) (Connor and Black 2010; King and Lee 2016).  Aggressive mechanical removal in the Box Canyon Reservoir reach of the Pend Oreille River was implemented by the Kalispel Tribe and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) in 2012.  The Box Canyon Reservoir Northern Pike removal effort has been successful.  Catch rates and abundance have been reduced from a high of 12.2 pike/net night in the initial year to 0.18 pike/net night in 2015 (Bean 2014; Harvey and Bean 2016).

Despite the removal efforts in the Pend Oreille River drainage, Northern Pike expanded downstream to the Columbia River.  Northern Pike have been detected in the Columbia River both upstream and downstream of the confluence with the Pend Oreille River.  Northern Pike were detected in 2009 below Hugh Keenleyside Dam, and have colonized a significant portion of the Canadian Columbia River near Castlegar, British Columbia (Baxter and Neufeld 2015).  In 2014, the Ministry of Forest Land and Natural Resources Operations (MFLNRO) recognized the threats associated with Northern Pike and initiated a gill net removal program, liberalized angling regulations (unlimited), and implemented an incentive program aimed at encouraging anglers to remove Northern Pike (Baxter and Neufeld 2015).  

The first Northern Pike were first documented in upper reach of US portion of the Columbia River (Lake Roosevelt) in 2007 at Alder Creek (near Hunters, WA) (Lee et al. 2007).  Since then, Northern Pike have been increasing in observance during the Fall Walleye Index Netting (King and Lee 2016) and in White Sturgeon surveys (Howell and McLellan 2017).  Northern Pike were first observed in the fishery in 2014 and are now routinely captured by anglers (King and Lee 2016; Spokane Tribe of Indians unpublished data).

In 2014 the co-managers of Lake Roosevelt, submitted a request for funding to the Northwest Power and Conservation Council (NWPCC) to support Northern Pike monitoring and suppression in Lake Roosevelt.  In 2015, the Council provided limited funding to monitor and suppress Northern Pike.  The co-managers implemented a standardized Northern Pike survey in the Kettle Falls area of Lake Roosevelt in June of 2015.  The catch rate of Northern Pike was 0.08 pike/hr in gill nets (n = 21).  During a follow up survey in February 2016 the catch rate had increased to 0.38 pike/hr (n = 71) (Lee and King 2015; King and Lee 2016).

In response to the increase in catch, in 2016 a pilot suppression program was initiated in targeted areas of Lake Roosevelt.  In 2017, the co-managers developed a five year plan for Lake Roosevelt Northern Pike Suppression and submitted it to the NWPCC for review and potential funding.  In 2017 and 2018, the co-managers expanded the suppression program and increased removal efforts.  Between 2015 and 2018, the co-managers have removed 8,761 Northern Pike from Lake Roosevelt through gillnetting, boat electrofishing, fyke netting, seining, and the angler reward program.

The Colville Tribe has worked to secure funds from multiple sources (Bonneville Power Administration, regional public utilities, Bureau of Indian Affairs and internal CCT funds) to implement the Northern Pike Suppression Plan.

In 2019, the CCT will combine the funding sources and implement portions of the Northern Pike Suppression Plan:
1. Conduct Northern Pike suppression gillnetting, boat electrofishing, fyke netting and set lining between February and November to remove adult and juvenile Northern Pike in Lake Roosevelt.

2.Implement the Northern Pike Reward Program that offers $10 to anglers for each Northern Pike head turned in (Note: not funded by BPA).

3. Assist, as needed, with the Northern Pike abundance surveys with the co-managers.

4. Coordinate activities with the co-managers of Lake Roosevelt.

5. Attend and participate in regional coordination meetings to ensure regional partners are up to date with the most current Northern Pike information.