It is against Maryland, Virginia and federal law to possess, import or transport live northern snakeheads. Ruffin`s Mill Pond was recently joined by Hunting Run Reservoir (Spotsylvania County), Pelham Reservoir (Culpeper County), Abel Reservoir (Stafford County), Burke Lake (Fairfax County) and Occoquan Reservoir (Fairfax/Prince William line) as bodies of water receiving illegal seeding of northern snakeheads. An individual was arrested and prosecuted for illegally storing snakeheads in Brittle Lake (Fauquier County) in 2015. At the 2017 Virginia General Assembly, a bill was passed that provides for increased penalties for people who illegally move snake heads (stockings). Fishermen are encouraged to visit these lakes and harvest all the snakeheads caught. These are excellent table dishes. The invasive finning licence allows you to use a finning trotting line to catch and sell blue and flathead catfish. For more information on these licenses, please contact our licensing and registration department at 410-260-3220. Alien species such as snakeheads can disrupt natural aquatic systems and have a significant impact by feeding on and competing with native and/or naturalized fish. In addition, they can transmit pests and diseases to native wildlife in these systems. While northern snakeheads do not attack humans or small pets, they can pose a threat to our native or naturalized wildlife and ecosystems.
Blue catfish and Chesapeake Bay flathead catfish are invasive species that have spread rapidly in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. These catfish have few natural predators, eat a variety of native fish and crustaceans, and can cause ecological damage. The Department of Natural Resources is asking anglers to report snake heads with a photo using Maryland`s invasive fish tracker. The introduction of invasive and non-native species can lead to irreversible changes in the food web. Several types of invasive concerns are listed below. Information on other invasive and alien species, as well as a list of species prohibited for transport, is available at dnr.maryland.gov/invasives. To report illegal transportation or unauthorized introduction of invasive species, contact the Natural Resources Police at 800-628-9944. It is illegal to release live invasive catfish into a body of water other than the one where they were caught. This illegal act is punishable by a fine of up to $2,500. Anglers are encouraged to catch and keep blue catfish and flatfish all year round.
There is no minimum size or barrier limit for these catfish. Do you have questions about legal equipment for harvesting invasive species? Consult the equipment tables in the Recreational Fishing Regulations section of the freshwater fishing regulations. Yes. Although snakeheads are freshwater fish, they have been found to tolerate fairly high salinity (this is especially true for juvenile fish with lower water temperatures). They may be able to colonize additional drains during extreme storms or illegal introductions. The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources wants anglers to be aware of the identification characteristics of the species they catch and report any unusual fishing. Call service at (804) 367-2925. Anyone who still has a snakefish should contact the Department of Wildlife Resources immediately and should NOT release it into the wild. Call (804) 367-2925 and DWR will help you dispose of the fish properly.
Northern snakeheads were discovered in Virginia in 2004 and can be found almost everywhere in the Potomac River, from the top of the Great Falls downstream to the Chesapeake Bay. Although detected in the non-tidal sections of the Potomac and its tributaries over Washington, D.C., most snakeheads are still found primarily in DC tidal waters downstream of Colonial Beach (and tributaries of DC, Maryland, and Virginia in this range). They are very numerous in all tributaries of the Virginia River up to the Potomac River in this range (for example, Little Hunting Creek, Dogue Creek, Pohick Creek, Occoquan River, Neabsco Creek, Quantico Creek and Aquia Creek). Data collected up to 2018 suggest that relative abundance has stabilized and even declined in many water bodies where populations have been established the longest. Biologists continue to sample waters populated by snake heads to learn more about the ecology and biology of this exotic fish in Virginia. The migration, exploitation, feeding habits, growth and behaviour of northern snakeheads are studied; And it is trying to determine what impacts, if any, occur on aquatic communities as a result of colonization. If you catch a snake head with a blue or red tag, please report the tag number and the location, date and time the fish was caught to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at 800-448-8322. Zebra mussels are an aggressive invasive species and reproduce at a highly productive rate, leaving native species competing for needed resources.
These shells protrude and quickly cover all available areas to the point where they can clog water inlet structures, boats, berths, ropes, fishing lines, traps, and even dams and power plants. Zebra mussels are established from the Susquehanna River and plains to Upper Bay. In addition, the Department of Natural Resources recently confirmed the presence of zebra mussels in tributaries on the upper west coast near the Middle River in Baltimore County. Harvesting invasive fish and helping to reduce the spread of invasive species Before anglers go fishing, they should familiarize themselves with the fish species found in Virginia. There are several native species, including the boreal fin, lamprey, and American eel, that resemble the head of a northern snake. For more information and help learning the differences between snakefish and native species, visit our “Do you know the difference?” information page. Any unusual fish should be reported to the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. We have set up a snakehead hotline where anglers can report snakehead fish (804-367-2925). There is also a new, easy-to-use web application for reporting observations. Anglers are required to report snakeheads that are kept, but are not required to kill them if caught and released immediately.
Snake heads must be dead if possessed (contained in a living well, cooler, etc.). However, the ministry is asking that all snakeheads be killed if possible. If a fisherman wants to keep a legally caught northern snake head, the fish must be killed to be possessed, and the fisherman must call the helpline or other DWR contact and provide the fisherman`s last name, date of catch, location of catch, and size of the fisherman. Kill fish through: Snakeheads were documented in the Rappahannock River system in 2012 – they apparently colonized several streams in the lower Rappahannock tide (downstream of Port Royal) by natural dispersal of the bay (they appear to use floods to conduct less dense fresh water over salt water during storms as a propagation mechanism), but were also smuggled into Ruffin`s Mill Pond south of Fredericksburg. The resulting settlement was likely the source of fish caught in Massaponax Creek and the upper reaches of the Rappahannock tide. Anglers should expect to encounter snakeheads almost everywhere in the Rappahannock below Fredericksburg, but at a lower density than currently on the Potomac. They have recently been observed more frequently in areas of the drop line and at watershed barriers (e.g., Rapidan Mill Dam) after spring migrations before spawning upstream. The Department of Natural Resources requires anglers to report snakeheads caught outside the Potomac River and its tributaries or upstream of Great Falls. Send catch information to [email protected] or call 410-260-8300 to help the ministry track the species` range.
Yes, it is illegal to possess one without a licence. In 2002, the Board of Wildlife Resources added snakefish to its list of predatory and unwanted alien species, making it illegal to possess a snakefish in Virginia without permission from the Department of Wildlife Resources.