In 2002, the Board of Wildlife Resources added the snakehead fish to the list of predatory and undesirable exotic species, making it illegal to possess a snakehead fish in Virginia without a permit issued by the Department of Wildlife Resources. Yes, it is illegal to own one without a permit. Is it illegal to own a snakehead fish in Virginia? removing the internal organs and put it on ice as quickly as possible.separating the gill arches from the body, or.If an angler wishes to keep a legally caught northern snakehead, the fish must be killed to be in possession, and the angler must call the hotline or other DWR contact and report the angler’s last name, date of catch, location of catch, and size. Snakeheads must be dead if in possession (contained in live well, cooler, etc.) However, the Department asks that all snakeheads be killed if possible. Anglers are required to report snakeheads kept but are not required to kill them if caught and immediately released. There is also a new, easy-to-use web application for reporting observations. We have established a snakehead hotline that anglers can use to report snakehead fish (80). Any unusual fish needs to be reported to the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. For more information and assistance with learning the identifying differences between snakehead fish and native species, please see our “ Do You Know The Difference?” information page. There are several native species including bowfin, lamprey, and American eel that look similar to the northern snakehead. What should someone do if they think they’ve found a snakehead fish?īefore going fishing, anglers should familiarize themselves with the fish species found in Virginia. However, as of May 2018 they were reported from multiple reservoirs in the James River watershed – undoubtedly a result of callous, illegal stocking from short-sighted individuals. Thus far, none have been found downstream of North Anna Dam. Snakeheads were found to be self-sustaining in Lake Anna (York drainage) in 2017. Anglers are encouraged to visit these lakes and harvest all snakeheads caught. A bill was passed during the 2017 Virginia General Assemble providing for increased penalties for persons illegally moving (stocking) snakeheads. An individual was arrested and prosecuted for illegally stocking snakeheads in Lake Brittle (Fauquier County) in 2015. Ruffin’s Mill Pond has been joined recently 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 all waters receiving illegal stockings of northern snakeheads. They have recently been encountered in greater abundance in areas of the fall line and at barriers in the watershed (e.g., Rapidan Mill Dam) following spring, pre-spawn migrations upstream. Anglers should expect to encounter snakeheads almost anywhere in the Rappahannock below Fredericksburg but at lower densities than currently seen on the Potomac. The resulting colonization was likely the source of fish captured in Massaponax Creek and upper portions of the tidal Rappahannock. Snakeheads were documented in 2012 in the Rappahannock River system – they apparently colonized several creeks in the lower portion of the tidal Rappahannock (below Port Royal) via natural dispersal from the Bay (they appear to be using freshets to ride less dense fresh water over saltwater during storms as a dispersal mechanism) but were also illegally introduced to Ruffin’s Mill Pond south of Fredericksburg. Data collected through 2018 suggest relative abundance has stabilized and even declined in many waters where populations have been established longest. They are very abundant in all of Virginia’s tidal tributaries to the Potomac River within this reach (e.g., Little Hunting Creek, Dogue Creek, Pohick Creek, Occoquan River, Neabsco Creek, Quantico Creek, and Aquia Creek). downstream to Colonial Beach (and in tributaries of D.C., Maryland and Virginia within this reach). Although verified in non-tidal sections of the Potomac and its tributaries above Washington, D.C., most snakeheads are still found primarily in tidal waters from D. Northern Snakeheads were discovered in Virginia in 2004 and may be found in the Potomac River almost anywhere – from above Great Falls downstream to Chesapeake Bay. Snakeheads caught in most major Virginia river drainages – Potomac, Rappahannock, York and now James Rivers, and many reservoirs:
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