FishLimit

VA · Northern pike (and chain pickerel)

Virginia northern pike (and chain pickerel) limits

Virginia allows 5 northern pike and chain pickerel a day, the two species counted together, with no statewide length limit. The only listed exception is Lake Gaston and Buggs Island (Kerr), where there is no daily limit. Pike fishing here is a stocked fishery: DWR's hatchery program keeps pike in a handful of lakes such as Lake Frederick, Lake Laura and Motts Run Reservoir.

Verified 2026-11-01

Updated

Limits at a glance

Regulation period: January 2026 through Dec. 31, 2026.

Statewide (waters with no listed exception)

Daily limit
5 per day, northern pike and chain pickerel combined

DatesOpen all year

Size ruleNo statewide length limitA pike and a pickerel both count toward the same 5.

Lake Gaston and Buggs Island Lake/Kerr Reservoir

Daily limit
No daily limit (pike and pickerel)

DatesYear-round (as printed)

Size ruleNo length limit

Watch for

  • Where to find them: DWR lists Hidden Valley Lake, Lake Arrowhead, Lake Frederick, Lake Laura and Motts Run Reservoir as recently stocked pike waters, and the digest's public-lakes table also marks pike at Skidmore Lake. DWR notes that few Virginia waters stay cool enough, with enough oxygen, to hold pike through the summer.
  • Northern pike and chain pickerel are both Virginia game fish. A legally kept pike may be used as bait only if fished whole (and it still counts toward your 5); it may not be used as cut bait, and while fishing you may not remove the head or tail or otherwise change it so its species, length or count can't be checked.
  • It is unlawful to have more than the daily creel limit in possession while afield or on the water, and fish kept alive count toward it.
  • A northern pike of 30 inches or 6 pounds qualifies for a DWR Trophy Fish Award (chain pickerel: 24 inches or 4 pounds). The state record pike, 31 lb 4 oz, came from Motts Run Reservoir in 1994.
  • These figures come from the 2026 digest, which runs to Dec. 31, 2026. We will re-check this page when the 2027 digest is published.

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Virginia · Northern pike

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Quick answers

What is the daily limit for northern pike (and chain pickerel) in Virginia?

Statewide (waters with no listed exception): 5 per day, northern pike and chain pickerel combined. Size rule: No statewide length limit. Other waters and date windows have different rules; see the table. Verify with Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources.

Which regulations do these Virginia figures come from?

January 2026 through Dec. 31, 2026, as published by Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. Last verified 2026-11-01.