After the yolk is absorbed, the fry feed on invertebrates and larval fish. Young of the year pickerel may reach 4 to 5 inches in length. At this size, the diet of fingerlings will change almost exclusively to fish and large invertebrates. Female fish grow faster and larger than males. Females also mature sooner and live longer than males.
Pickerel are opportunistic carnivores which ambush their prey.
Prey include sunfish, catfish, minnows and other pickerel. Chain pickerel often inhabit ponds with a maximum depth of less than 10 feet and feed actively throughout the year. Pickerel will naturally hybridize where species overlap. Hybrids of the chain pickerel x grass or redfin pickerel are fertile. These hybrids may provide a good intermediate-size predator for farm ponds.