The Pike/Round Lake chain is one of the best kept secrets in the northwoods. Halfway between Park Falls to the west and Minocqua to the east, the chain gets most of its fishing pressure from local anglers. It is also a favorite destination for local guides to bring their clients to fish its diverse fishery of muskies, walleye, crappies, perch, large and smallmouth bass, and northern pike.

The chain consists of five lakes: Pike, Round, Amik, Turner and the fifth, Tucker, is only accessible by portaging a boat through the Chequamegon National Forest from Round Lake. The chain's 2023 acres and 32 foot hole in Tucker Lake can produce numbers of muskies, but also large fish are caught or seen here with regularity. Muskie growth rates in length and weight is above average due to good genetics and an abundance of prey. Perch, sucker and various minnow species make up most of the muskies forage on the chain.

Spring fishing on the Pike/Round Lake chain turns on early in the season. With its relatively shallow depths and its dark stained waters, the lake water temperatures warm up quickly and the action can be hot right off the bat. Small #5 silver-bladed bucktails dressed in black, purple or brown hair in low light conditions, and white, yellow or chartreuse hair on those sunny days. Smaller six inch jerk baits and crank baits in a perch, sucker or chartreuse color are highly productive in the early season. Because of the chain's water temperature rise so quickly in the spring, topwater lures are very effective after the opening whistle of the season. Amik and Turner turn on the quickest, along with the north and south end of Pike Lake. Cast your lures over the tops of newly emerging aquatic vegetation.

In the summer, some of the resident muskies will transition themselves from the shallow, weedy bays out to the main lake rock and weed points, rock humps and around the island cluster on Pike Lake. At this time, change your bucktail blade selection to brass or fluorescent, hair color according to the weather conditions and muskie preferences. When July arrives, start tossing larger jerk baits and cranks in the same colors as spring, but add blaze orange and yellow to your arsenal. Topwater should continue to be used up until the end of the season.

Fall action on the Pike/Round Lake chain can be the best of the year, which is why you will see many of the local guides slowly row-trolling suckers on quick strike rigs for their clients. Big, weighted jerk baits and suckers should be worked around the many rock humps, steep breaks and around the many fish cribs placed by the DNR and lake association.