chain pickerel

noun

: a large greenish-black pickerel (Esox niger) with dark markings along the sides that is common in quiet waters of eastern North America

Examples of chain pickerel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Fish native to the Jackson River (which feeds into the dam) like smallmouth bass, rock bass, and chain pickerel can also be caught in the lake. —Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 1 Mar. 2025

Learn More › Northern pike, chain pickerel, and muskies are all members of the same family. —Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 18 Apr. 2024

Northern pike start to spawn in early April when water temperature is hovering in the high 30s and low 40s, while the chain pickerel typically show up a few weeks later when the water warms up. —Ella Nilsen, CNN, 6 Apr. 2024

The Sparrows Point resident reeled in a 24-inch chain pickerel, which is a freshwater fish part of the pike family, according to the department’s March 5 news release. —Makiya Seminera, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2024

That would be the chain pickerel, a smaller cousin to the northern pike that inhabits many of our regional waters and is very prevalent on Eastern Shore rivers and mill ponds, along with a host of Virginia and Pennsylvania waters. —Anthony Maluso, Baltimore Sun, 28 Jan. 2024

His catches this past week consisted of peacock bass up to 5.5 pounds, snook, and largemouth bass to six pounds, chain pickerel, clown knife fish, grass carp and Mayan cichlids. —Alan Sherman, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024

Range and Distribution of Muskie vs Pike Northern pike and muskies are members of the Esox family of fish, which also includes chain pickerel and grass pickerel. —Joe Cermele, Field & Stream, 19 July 2023

Likewise, species such as pike and chain pickerel often attack a shiner from the side—a move known as T-boning. —Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 10 May 2023

Word History

Etymology

from the markings resembling chains on the sides

First Known Use

1878, in the meaning defined above