Population Characteristics of Northern Pike in a Southern Kansas Impoundment

Abstract

Northern pike, Esox lucius, were historically stocked throughout Kansas; however, lack of suitable habitat generally led to the senescence of these populations. Currently, Kingman State Fishing Lake (SFL) is the only public fishery in Kansas that still supports a self-sustaining northern pike population. Due to the extreme habitat conditions on the far southern edge of the northern pike's range, traditional sampling methods (e.g., fall trap nets and gill nets, spring electrofishmg) generally cause excessive mortality or are not effective at capturing northern pike. As such, data regarding the only Kansas northern pike fishery are lacking. Northern pike were sampled with trap nets during February and March 2011, to estimate population charactensties such as recruitment, growth, mortality, and population size. Kingman SFL northern pike grew quickly, generally lived less than 10 years, and exhibited annual recruitment. Total annual mortality was 44%. Population estimates obtained from mark-recapture data suggest the population density is approximately four to nine adult northern pike per surface hectare.