Pike Fishing on Overcast Days & Cloudy Weather (+10 Tips)

Pike fishing can be good under any condition as long as you locate pike and present the proper baits to them but cloudy and overcast conditions can be especially favorable. These are actually some of the very best times to catch northern pike, especially in warmer months. It is a great topic to discuss and we will dive into it deep in this article to help you catch more fish. 

Is pike fishing good on overcast and cloudy days? Cloudy and overcast weather can be downright incredible for pike fishing because the reduced sunlight and cooling temperatures puts pike into “hunt” mode more so than full sunlight will.

These reduced light conditions are ideal for sharp-eyed pike to follow and ambush prey items which means they will chase down your moving lures. Overall, cloudy conditions make for really good pike fishing most of the year.

For a complete breakdown of the best time of day to catch northern pike based on season, please check out this very helpful guide I wrote. I spent hours researching the nitty-gritty details in this article to ensure you catch more pike and fish only during the optimal time windows.

Check out this link here to view my complete pike fishing gear recommendation list, including rods, reels, baits, gear, etc. I have field tested a lot of pike gear and these are my recommendations.

Pike Fishing & Cloud Cover

Vision-Based Hunters

I like to categorize pike as vision-based predators. Along with bass and trout, pike rely quite heavily on their sense of sight to move around their environment and locate food.

They have very good reduced light vision which allows them to see better than a lot of the prey items they want to eat when light is dimmed.

This makes late afternoon and early morning prime times for pike to launch ambushes on prey that won’t see it coming. Now the thing about having reduced sunlight because of cloud cover is that it essentially acts just the same as early morning/late evening time windows.

The light will be reduced and the water temps will be a little cooler. These are ideal conditions for pike to get hungry and go out looking for food. It is great for pike anglers to be fishing moving baits in.

Best Time of Day to Catch Pike: Overcast Conditions

The best time of day to catch pike most of the year is early morning and late evenings from dawn until about 2 hours after sunrise and late afternoon from 2 hours before sunset to dusk.

During these times, pike have favorable conditions to launch ambush attacks and be more active due to cooler water temps.

The middle of the day is typically slower because of direct overhead sunlight. But during overcast or cloudy conditions, pike can launch attacks all day because of the reduced sunlight.

This gives them an edge over the prey they hunt because they are able to move into position for more effective ambushes. I still like morning and evening for cloudy pike fishing but you can have good success all day long fishing moving baits.

Best Baits for Reduced Light Fishing

I would strongly recommend moving baits like soft swimbaits, crankbaits, spinners, and spoons. These baits are going to be awesome for you since pike are more willing to chase down baits under cloudy weather.

Pike will be out looking for large moving baits under these conditions and these are the best baits to target them with. Under reduced sunlight, I recommend using solid colors like white, black, red, and blue. Chartreuse and green are my favorite colors under reduced sunlight.

These colors really stand out in these water clarity levels and will draw big strikes from pike. Fire tiger is another popular color for pike worth trying. Try to avoid “ghost” type colors that really shine in clear water under full sunlight. 

10 Tips for Pike Success Under Dreary Skies

1. Fish Moving Baits

This is one of the most important tips for catching pike in cloudy weather. Unlike with sunny weather where pike are holed up near shade, pike will absolutely venture out away from cover and chase down moving baits. You have to remember pike are now out looking for food to ambush.

I recommend throwing large moving baits that you can cover a ton of water with. Pike want nothing more than a large dumb fish to make a mistake in front of them. That is what you want to do with your lure. Be that large dumb fish and you’ll do very well for yourself.

2. Troll & Cover Water

I think one of the best things you can do in cloudy weather is simply cover water. Pike will be spread out which can make finding individual fish more difficult. But the good news is they are out hunting. They aren’t just swimming around for leisure.

They have a purpose. Either fan casting from a boat or trolling will be great ways to cover a ton of water to find these hungry fish. I actually recommend trolling until you locate a good spot with multiple pike them casting to points and along underwater reefs. 

3. Bright & Dark Colors

Both bright-colored and dark-colored patterns can work great under these conditions. The reduced light means bright colors like white, chartreuse, green, and oranges will really pop. Dark colors like black, blue, purples, and maroons can be great too.

It really depends on the mood of the pike. I find whenever pike are really on, bright colors are unbeatable. If pike are a little more docile, dark colors will work better. Cast both to determine what the pike favor and stick with the winner. 

4. Select Solid Patterns

When it comes to fishing gray skies, I like to fish with solid colors that will stand out clearly against that gray backdrop if pike are looking up.

“Ghost” translucent bait colors work great for pike under sunny skies because it looks so natural but under cloudy conditions, you cannot beat solid colors. I like chartreuse, orange, black, and blue best.

5. Focus on Known Pike Locations

Pike can be a little tougher to locate these days. On sunny days, you know pike are going to be locked into prominent cover where bait is passing by. But on overcast days, pike will venture out away from cover and patrol.

They will still be loosely associated with cover though so it is a good idea to cast to these locations and reel back. Odds are you will get bit away from cover though as you retrieve your bait out into the open. 

6. Fish All Day Long

Unlike sunny days when the best fishing is morning and evening, with cloudy days, you can have good fishing all day long.

Pike will feed in the middle of the day if bait passes by. I love fishing these days because I can get on the water whenever is most convenient for me and have a good chance at catching good pike.

7. Use Your Electronics to Find Fish

I can’t stress the value of good electronics if you can afford them. Fishfinders, graphs, and charts will be great for not only locating pike, but locating bait balls, and prominent features that hold fish.

Because pike will be scattered out, it will be a bit trickier to pinpoint them. Electronics will prove invaluable during times like these.

8. Sharpen Your Hooks

This should be standard practice no matter when you are pike fishing. You need sharp hooks to penetrate the tough mouth and teeth of pike for good hooksets. Keep your hooks sticky sharp.

You don’t want to lose the pike of the year because your hooks were too dull. Either replace the hooks with very sharp new ones or use a hook file to sharpen those points before you head out next.

9. Experiment with Retrieves

Be very experimental when it comes to retrieve types and speeds. On overcast days, pike will chase down moving baits more than on sunny days. But you won’t know if pike that day prefer slow-moving baits or baits burnt as fast as you can crank.

The only way to find out is why trial and error. If you get pike following your bait to the boat but not committing, you are close but not quite there. Change it up with a different speed or color. 

10. Be Persistent

Anytime you are fishing for big fish whether that be lake trout, salmon, muskies, striped bass, etc., there will be downtime. You may not get any bites at all. Just be persistent and keep casting. Keep grinding and your hard work will be rewarded. 

Rain & Pike Fishing

When fishing around rain, look at it in three different phases: before rain, during rain, and after rain. Pike fishing before rain is by far the best. In fact, I would argue that the hours before rain is the very best time to catch pike under most situations. It is downright awesome.

The dropping pressure, cooling temps, and reduced sunlight really amps up fish and makes them hungry. You can get away with fast-moving baits when fishing in this time window. Pike are out looking to eat.

When the rain starts, pike will continue to bite and fishing can be still pretty good. I have experienced so-so results myself during rain. After rain is probably going to be the worst time to be fishing.

Pike slow way down after rain stops and the cold front fully settled in. Pike will become docile and only attack slow-moving baits unless you can elicit a reaction strike from them.

Winter Gloom: Pike Fishing

I am a bit conflicted on the quality of fishing you could have during the winter under non-clear skies. Generally speaking, fish will be most active during winter when the air temps and water temps are at their daily highest. Usually, it takes hours of direct sunlight to raise those temperatures up. But in cloudy weather, the weather will be cooler.

When ice fishing, I really don’t think it makes a difference because the ice naturally blocks out a ton of sunlight. You will definitely catch pike through the ice in cloudy weather. I have done it a lot. In fact, I’d argue that cloudy pike fishing through the ice is better than sunny skies.

But if you are fishing rivers or big lakes that aren’t frozen over, I find that fishing is better when it is sunny out instead of overcast. Definitely experiment with this on your own because you may find different results. Pike fishing in winter can be good but slow your approach way down.

Pike Fishing at Night Under Clouds

You can definitely catch pike at night. In fact, I wrote a complete guide to fishing for northern pike at night which will be very beneficial for you to read.

Pike will bite at night but they will focus most of their efforts near the water’s surface because moonlight can only penetrate so deep into the water compared to sunlight. Full moon nights are best for pike for this reason.

Pike need to see to effectively hunt. But under cloudy skies, the moonlight will be reduced if not completely shut out.

You can catch pike with live or dead bait on these nights but moving lure fishing will be tough. Good luck and you’re a better angler than me if you can consistently catch nighttime pike under cloudy skies. 

Clear “Bluebird” Skies

You can catch pike all day long under clear skies but I have found that pike don’t seem as willing to chase down baits in the middle of the day.

These days, pike fishing will be best early morning and late afternoon. Sunrise and sunset is ideal because water temperatures are cooler and light penetrating the water is reduced.

You will find pike more aggressive this time of day. During the middle of the day, pike will associate tightly with shaded cover like grass, logs, ledges, and points. You will also find some pike moving down into deeper water. You can still catch these pike but they will be less willing to chase down baits.

Final Thoughts

Pike fishing can be downright awesome under cloudy skies. Pike are sight hunters with really good reduced light vision.

This vision gives them a decided tactical advantage over other prey items when they are able to plan and launch ambushes. The reduced light caused by clouds will make for favorable conditions for hunting.

You will actually notice pike feeding more aggressively under these conditions. This is the exact reason why I recommend fishing for pike in the early morning and late afternoons of sunny days.

The water is cooler and the light is reduced so pike will be more aggressive and willing to chase down your bait.

Check out this guide for a complete breakdown of the best water temperature for pike fishing.