Northern Snakeheads in Pennsylvania

The northern snakehead is one of the most notorious aquatic invasive species found in Pennsylvania. This slender fish is found in several rivers and impoundments in the state

In May, 2020, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) urged anglers to report and dispose of any invasive Northern Snakehead fish that may be caught in the lower Susquehanna River.

The advisory follows the documented movement of 21 Northern Snakeheads past the Conowingo Dam into the Conowingo Pool, a 14-mile-long section of the Susquehanna River located between the Conowingo Dam in Maryland and the Holtwood Dam in Pennsylvania.

Fisheries management of the Conowingo Pool is shared between the PFBC and Maryland Department of Natural Resources (MD DNR).

In late March, operators of the fish passage systems used at the Conowingo, Holtwood, and Safe Harbor dams to assist migrating American Shad during their spring spawning runs indicated that due to restrictions associated with COVID-19, fish passage operations had been delayed from the original start date of April 1.

Over the course of four days, lift operators observed 35 northern snakeheads within the east fish lift; 14 of the invasive fish were able to be netted and removed, while another 21 entered the Conowingo Pool.

Due to the concern over increased invasive species passage and the lateness of the season for successful American Shad passage, the Susquehanna River Anadromous Fish Restoration Cooperative (SRAFRC) recommended that fish passage operations be immediately ceased to prevent further passage of snakeheads.

Fish passage operations at the Holtwood and Safe Harbor dams upriver were also ceased immediately, although no snakeheads were observed at either location.

Northern Snakeheads were discovered in the mid-Atlantic region in 2002 when a pair were discovered in a Maryland pond.

Snakeheads were confirmed in Pennsylvania in July 2004 in Meadow Lake, Philadelphia County, and are present in the connecting lower Schuylkill and Delaware rivers.

In summer 2018, anglers began catching snakeheads in Octoraro Creek in Lancaster County, a tributary that enters the Susquehanna River below the Conowingo Dam; however, snakeheads are not known to occur in the upper Octoraro Creek basin above the dam at Pine Grove.

In September 2019, an angler reported catching of a single snakehead in the Monongahela River near Braddock, PA, and the specimen was verified by PFBC biologists.

Anglers are reminded that possession, transport, and importation of a live snakehead is unlawful in both Pennsylvania and Maryland.

Anglers who suspect they have caught a snakehead are encouraged to NOT release it, and report it to the PFBC at (610) 847-2442 or by sending an email to tgrabowski@pa.gov.

For more information on Northern Snakeheads in Pennsylvania, including an identification guide, visit the PFBC snakehead resource page on the agency’s website (www.fishandboat.com).

source: Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission

 

Related Information

Pennsylvania Freshwater Fishing

FishBoatPA Smartphone App

More than 33,500 users have downloaded the FishBoatPA mobile smartphone app, according to the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC).

The FishBoatPA app is available for free on both Google’s Play Store and Apple’s App Store.

The app shows anglers which waters have been stocked with trout, provides driving directions, and other information.

When the FishBoatPA app opens, one of the first item anglers see is an “Upcoming Trout Stocking” link, which updates in real-time.

Users can sort stocking schedules by county. The app is tied directly into the PFBC’s online stocking schedule, so anglers can see past and upcoming stockings and the type of trout placed in a water.

GIS coordinates allow users to use mapping apps installed on their phones to get directions to their favorite stocking site.

The “Near Me” feature uses a phone’s GIS coordinates to locate and display trout waters within 5, 15, 25 and 50 miles of the user.

Using the ‘My Trophies’ feature, anglers can post pictures to share with others by email, text message, or through social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter.

Another prominent feature on the app home page is the link “Get a license today.” This enables users to find an issuing agent near them and to see pricing options for licenses.

The app also links to a “Fish ID” guide with color pictures; a “Learn” section with links to helpful information like tying knots and learning how to properly handle fish; and to PFBC rules and regulations.

source: Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission

2012 Pennsylvania Lake Erie Walleye and Yellow Perch Limits

Lake Erie anglers fishing in Pennsylvania waters will be allowed 30 yellow perch and six walleye per day for 2012. On April 20, 2012, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) released its 2012 Lake Erie yellow perch creel limits.

Earlier in 2012, PFBC adopted new regulations establishing adaptive creel limits for walleye and yellow perch based on the annual quotas established by the Lake Erie Committee, which consists of fisheries managers from Pa., Ohio, N.Y., Mich., and Ontario, Canada.

A recent assessment showed that both yellow perch and walleye populations remain stable. Based on this, the creel limits are being held at the 2011 limits.

source:  PFBC

Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission Panfish Project Receives National Award

A national panel of fisheries scientists has recognized the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) for its work on a decades-long research project which demonstrated that restrictive harvest regulations can increase panfish populations while creating a positive fishing experience for anglers targeting these popular fish.

The American Fisheries Society (AFS) selected the PFBC Division of Fisheries Management for an outstanding project award in the Research and Surveys category of its 2010 Sport Fish Restoration Project Award Program, which recognizes excellence in fisheries management, research and education.

The study used both contemporary and historical fisheries data dating back to 1982 with more intensive and formal sampling conducted from 1999-2007. The panfish program was initially proposed by fisheries management staff in 1994 after agency biologists and anglers alike became concerned about apparent declines in numbers of large or “keeper” size sunfish, crappie and yellow perch at some lakes.

Conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Geological Survey’s Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at Penn State University, the project sought to increase the number of “large” panfish through size and creel limits and to increase anglers’ satisfaction with their fishing experience.

“Because they are widely available and generally taste good, panfish are one of the most popular fish targeted by anglers,” said Dave Miko, chief of the PFBC Division of Fisheries Management and the project leader for the research study. “In fact, PFBC surveys have shown that nearly half of all fishing time is spent pursuing them. And because panfish are easy to catch, they play a key role in introducing new and young anglers to the sport.”

Historically, the PFBC had encouraged panfish fishing under the belief that the species was underutilized and were not likely to be overfished. Anglers were allowed to harvest 50 fish per day with no minimum size limit. But in 1999, after almost five years of planning and coordination and amid the concerns about the decline in larger panfish at some waters, the PFBC placed size and creel limits on select reservoirs and lakes meeting biological criteria and where it was felt that angler harvest reduced the size structure of panfish populations.

The regulations established minimum size limits of 9 inches for crappie and yellow perch and 7 inches for sunfish. Creel limits also were reduced to 20 fish per species group (i.e. crappie, yellow perch and sunfish) and a combined total of 50 fish per day.

After analyzing data from this long-term project during 2008-09, PFBC scientists believe that restrictive regulations can be an effective technique for increasing panfish populations in some waters where angler harvest is a major limiting factor. For example, catch rates of legal-size crappie in trapnets, used to sample panfish, tripled in the treatment lakes over the 10-year period following implementation of the regulations.

Catch rates remained unchanged in control lakes, which had remained under statewide regulations, providing strong evidence that the experimental regulations and not natural variation worked to increase the population. Results for sunfish and yellow perch were less definitive, but nonetheless positive, with trapnet catch rates nearly doubling in the treatment lakes and remaining unchanged in the control waters.

The final report of the research project is being reviewed by PFBC staff with an eye toward applying the project to other waters where the necessary criteria would be met and benefits would be anticipated. These reviews are expected to be completed by early summer, at which point the full results will be made available.

source: Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission

Pennsylvania Fly Fishing Show

The Pennsylvania Fly Fishing Show is scheduled for March 5th and 6th at the Valley Forge Convention Center in the King of Prussia area. The event offers free parking, convenient hotels and restaurants, and other amenities.

The Pennsylvania Fly Fishing Show precedes the opening of trout season, which allows the attendees to purchase needed products for the coming season.

For more information, visit www.flyfishingshow.com