This is usually in March to May in the United States. Shallow marshy areas and inlets with dense vegetation are preferred. The female pike lays her eggs over this vegetation and the eggs, which are sticky, adhere to it. Northerns spawn earlier than muskie and the northern fry will feed on muskie eggs. It is for these reasons that muskie are rarer than pike.
Pike reach maturity at two to three years for males, three to four years for females.