What is a snakehead? Are there snakeheads in Lake Norman?
The northern snakehead is a long slender fish that closely resembles a bowfin (mud fish). Snakeheads can live out of water for short periods of time. It is an aggressive predator and has been known to displace native fish populations in areas where it has been illegally introduced. Although none have been reported in Lake Norman, one confirmed catch and release did occur on the Catawba River near Belmont, NC in the spring of 2007. The fish weighed thirteen pounds and measured thirty-one inches long. Wildlife officials are asking anglers to keep and report (1-800-662-7137) any fish suspected as being a snakehead.