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Northern Snakehead

Northern Snakehead

The Northern Snakehead (Channa argus), recently renamed 'Chesapeake Channa' in Maryland, is an invasive predatory fish native to China, Russia, and the Korean peninsula that has become firmly established throughout Maryland's waters since its first discovery in a Crofton pond in 2002.

Scientific Name: Channa argus

Also known as Chesapeake Channa

Physical Characteristics:
  • These air-breathing fish can survive out of water for days and reach over 33 inches in length, with a distinctive snake-like appearance featuring a flattened head, eyes on top, and mottled brown coloration.

What to know

Habitat Distribution

  • They prefer stagnant shallow waters with mud substrate and thick aquatic vegetation, typically less than 2 feet deep.

Key Locations

  • Potomac River and its tributaries (Mattawoman Creek, Pomonkey Creek, Nanjemoy Creek, Mallows Bay), the Blackwater River system near Cambridge, and the Upper Chesapeake/Lower Susquehanna areas including the flats near Havre de Grace and North East River.
  • Prime Maryland locations include Potomac tributaries (Mattawoman Creek for trophy fish, Pomonkey Creek for numbers, Nanjemoy Creek's feeder creeks), the entire Blackwater system where they're so abundant you can catch dozens from one spot, and the Susquehanna Flats/North East River areas.

Specific Spots

  • Areas like lily pads, hydrilla, and spatterdock beds, lily pad beds, hydrilla growth, and emerging grass beds.

Northern Snakehead FAQ

Answers from onWater's species guide.

What are the best lures and bait for Northern Snakehead in Maryland?

Topwater lures are most effective: plastic frogs (especially smaller, finesse-style bodies), chatter-baits, in-line spinners, buzzbaits, poppers, and walk-the-dog lures. Live bait is productive in cooler weather - use bull minnows under bobbers 12 inches deep, or fat bull minnows lip-hooked to a dart.

What flies work for Northern Snakehead in Maryland?

Foam divers, topwater mouse and frog patterns, Blane Chocklett's Game Changer series (Feather Changers, Jerk Changers, Finesse Changers), Clouser minnows, and streamers like Zoo Cougar and Dahlberg Divers.

When is the best time to fish for Northern Snakehead in Maryland?

Late April through October offers the best Northern Snakehead fishing in Maryland, with peak action during hot summer afternoons between 2:00-5:00 PM.

How do you catch Northern Snakehead in Maryland?

Fish flies with two-handed strips or strip-strip-pause retrieves. Bowfishing is highly effective at night with 35-pound draw weight bows and barbed arrows. Look for 'fry-balls' (schools of baby snakehead) that parents guard aggressively - casting near these guarantees strikes.

What do Northern Snakehead eat?

They're voracious opportunistic predators that primarily feed on fish (over 90% of adult diet), including white perch, yellow perch, bluegill, and catfish, but also consume amphibians, crustaceans like crawfish, insects, and even small mammals.

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