Pike in February–March: behaviour before spawning
Pike are one of the first species to spawn in spring. In February and March they get ready to breed: they change spots, feed to build reserves and become more sensitive to handling. On the natural waters of the Danube Delta this is the closed season; on Holbina's private lake you can fish as an overnight guest, catch and release.
What happens before spawning
Spawning usually starts when the water warms towards 6–10 °C. Pike then look for shallow water with flooded vegetation or reeds, where females stick their eggs to plants. The larger females are usually followed by a few smaller males. After spawning, the fish do not guard the eggs.
In the weeks before, females carry a lot of eggs and feed to build reserves. Spawning is followed by a recovery period when pike eat less.
Where to find them at the end of winter
As the water warms, pike move closer to smaller bays and reed edges near the areas where they will spawn. On cold days they stay closer to deeper water, where the temperature is more stable.
Sunny afternoons, when shallow water warms slightly, are often the most productive hours.
Lures and presentation in cold water
The water is still cold, so slow presentations usually work best: soft plastic shads on jig heads worked close to the bottom, and suspending jerkbaits with long pauses.
At Holbina only artificial lures are allowed, with at most one treble hook per lure. A bite-proof leader protects both the fish and your lure.
Releasing a pike full of eggs
In this period, careful handling matters more than ever. Keep the pike in the water as long as possible, unhook it with long-nose pliers and wet your hands before touching it. If you lift it for a photo, support its body horizontally with one hand under the belly and do not hold it vertically by the jaw: a female full of eggs is heavy and her internal organs can be injured.
If you see pike spawning in shallow water, leave them alone and fish somewhere else. At Holbina every catch is released, all year round.
The closed season on natural waters and Holbina's lake
On the natural waters of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve, pike are protected every spring; in 2026, from 1 February to 7 June. Fishing for them there during this period is prohibited, including catch and release.
Holbina has a single private lake of 1,200 hectares, a fish farm that is not covered by the closed season on natural waters. Fishing is exclusively for overnight guests, and the boat transfer depends on the weather, so the dates are agreed with the team.