Known for its long, yellow body, long snout, toothy mouth, and dark vertical bar under the eye. The feisty Chain Pickerel or “Jack” is often found around sunken ledges and weed beds in the deepest parts of a freshwater river, pond, or stream. Anglers say that the Jack is a good fighter and fun to catch, but only average to eat because of the many bones.
Wetland
Main native range is on the Atlantic slope, from southern Maine south to Florida and in freshwater drainages along the northern shore of the Gulf of Mexico, from Florida west to east Texas, including the lower Mississippi. The species is considered invasive in some northern regions, like Nova Scotia.
Abundant
Diurnal
Smaller fish when young, larger fish as adults, frogs, snakes, worms, mice, other small mammals, crayfish, and insects
Chain pickerel can be active at any time of day and are not considered nocturnal or diurnal. However, they are generally more active in the early morning and late afternoon when they are actively feeding. Chain pickerel are solitary fish.
Least Concern
