Another name for a northern pike is jackfish; it is also called a jack. The precise species name is northern pike (Esox lucius). “Pickerel” is used for northern pike in some references and regions, but it can mean other fish, too.
Common names for northern pike
The fish usually meant by “pike” is the northern pike, Esox lucius. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service says it is commonly called a “northern” or “pike” (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service).
Other recorded names include jack and jackfish. Minnesota’s Department of Natural Resources also lists “snake pickerel” and “hammer handle,” while Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the International Game Fish Association record names such as Great Northern Pike, Great Northern Pickerel, American Pike, Common Pike, and Lakes Pike (Minnesota DNR; Fisheries and Oceans Canada; IGFA).
Why “pickerel” can be confusing
Some fisheries references use “pickerel” as another name for northern pike, but the word does not identify this species consistently. Maine’s Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife distinguishes northern pike from chain pickerel (Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife). A NOAA-hosted historical list also records “yellow pickerel” as a name for walleye and “grass pike” as an old name for northern pike (NOAA-hosted fisheries document).
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Common names therefore depend on region and historical usage. If you need to identify the species precisely, say northern pike rather than relying on “pickerel.”
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