🐟 Northern Pike Weight Calculator
Estimate northern pike weight from length & girth using proven field formulas — imperial & metric
| Length (in) | Length (cm) | Est. Girth (in) | Est. Weight (lb) | Est. Weight (kg) | Classification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | 40.6 | 8.0 | 1.3 | 0.6 | Juvenile |
| 20 | 50.8 | 10.0 | 2.5 | 1.1 | Juvenile |
| 24 | 61.0 | 12.0 | 4.3 | 2.0 | Sub-Adult |
| 26 | 66.0 | 13.0 | 5.5 | 2.5 | Sub-Adult |
| 28 | 71.1 | 14.0 | 6.9 | 3.1 | Adult |
| 30 | 76.2 | 15.0 | 8.4 | 3.8 | Adult |
| 32 | 81.3 | 16.0 | 10.2 | 4.6 | Adult |
| 34 | 86.4 | 17.0 | 12.2 | 5.5 | Adult |
| 36 | 91.4 | 18.0 | 14.6 | 6.6 | Trophy |
| 38 | 96.5 | 19.0 | 17.2 | 7.8 | Trophy |
| 40 | 101.6 | 20.0 | 20.0 | 9.1 | Trophy |
| 42 | 106.7 | 21.0 | 23.1 | 10.5 | Super Trophy |
| 44 | 111.8 | 22.0 | 26.6 | 12.1 | Super Trophy |
| 46 | 116.8 | 23.0 | 30.4 | 13.8 | Super Trophy |
| 48 | 121.9 | 24.0 | 34.6 | 15.7 | Record Class |
| Pike Size | Est. Weight | Rod Power | Line Weight | Wire Leader | Hook Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 24" | Under 4 lb | Medium | 10–15 lb mono | 6–9" | #1/0 – 2/0 |
| 24" – 30" | 4–8 lb | Med-Heavy | 15–20 lb mono/braid | 9–12" | #2/0 – 3/0 |
| 30" – 36" | 8–15 lb | Heavy | 20–30 lb braid | 12" | #3/0 – 4/0 |
| 36" – 42" | 15–25 lb | Heavy | 30–50 lb braid | 12–18" | #4/0 – 5/0 |
| 42"+ Trophy | 25 lb+ | X-Heavy | 50–80 lb braid | 18" | #5/0 – 6/0 |
| Species | Typical Weight | Max Weight | Avg Length | Formula Divisor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Pike | 3–10 lb | 55+ lb | 24–36" | 800 |
| Muskellunge (Muskie) | 5–20 lb | 67+ lb | 30–48" | 800 |
| Tiger Muskie | 4–15 lb | 51 lb | 28–44" | 800 |
| Chain Pickerel | 1–4 lb | 9 lb | 15–24" | 800 |
| Grass Pickerel | 0.2–0.8 lb | 1.2 lb | 8–14" | 800 |
Get crisp skin on fish is a difficult task. When you lay a round in hot bread, it usually curls upward. This cooks it unevenly and the skin stays soft.
Using fish pressure, one can flatten the chip and keep it on the surface. This way the skin crisps well while the inner meat cooks evenly. The pressure spreads equal force over the whole round.
Get Crispy Fish Skin and Weigh Fish
At first sight fish pressure looks like that for hamburgers. A common choice is pressure from stainless steel for fish. It weighs a lot for its size and washes well.
When not around, a little old cast iron pan maybe serve as a replacement, any heavy metal with a handle works.
Now estimate Weight of fish without using a scale for other reasons. There is a recipe that works for trout and similar species. One takes the girth, squares it multiplies by the length, then divides by 800.
Girth and length are measured in inches, and the result one gets in pounds. For instance, if a fish has a 15-inch girth and measures 29 inches, that calculation shows the Weight. The divider 800 can adjust bigger or smaller depending on whether the fish weighs more or less than average.
If it is not possible to measure the girth, one uses a default factor of 0.58 times the length instead.
Even so those recipes do not always work. A long slim fish and a short fat one of the same length can have very different masses. Only the length does not work for always guessing Weight well.
More commonly, guessing length helps too understand the real size of a fish, because the mass changes a lot. Length itself does not shrink.
Fish loses Weight after capture. Blood loss, throwing up and waste all maybe happen. But loss of water is usually most serious.
Because fish live in water, they always try to keep the right water level in their bodies through a process called osmoregulation.
So for weighing fish on the spot, a digital hanging scale with a built-in lip grip makes a reliable choice. One popular model lasts until 110 pounds, with a lit LCD screen and hook. Simply clip the grip to the center of the bottom jaw.
When a scale has only a hook, one can use a separate pair of lip grips and then simply subtract their own Weight. Spring scales also last long if one keeps them in a waterproof box and regularly treats them with oil. Quickly taking fish from water matters, sodoing the weighing quietly is always wise advice.
