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Northern Snakehead

Northern Snakehead

Northern Snakehead are large predatory invasive fish that are dietary generalists and obligate air breathers with a primitive lung that allows them to survive out of water for up to four days.

Scientific Name: Channa argus

Physical Characteristics:
  • Can reach over 33 inches in length and weigh up to 19 pounds.
  • These cylindrical fish have distinctive snake-like scaled heads, large mouths with sharp teeth, and long dorsal and anal fins that extend nearly to the tail.
  • They're easily identified by dark irregular blotches along brown sides and can be distinguished from native bowfin by their longer anal fin, scales on the head, and pelvic fins positioned directly behind pectoral fins.

What to know

Habitat Distribution

  • Prefer lentic or slow-moving waters with silty sediments and aquatic vegetation.
  • First discovered in Meadow Lake at FDR Park in Philadelphia County in 2004, spreading to the Delaware River the following year.

Key Locations

  • Delaware River system, FDR Park's Meadow Lake in Philadelphia, Darby Creek in John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge, and various impoundments in southeastern counties.
  • Waters throughout the lower Delaware basin, impoundments in Berks, York, and Lancaster counties within the Schuylkill and lower Susquehanna basins, and portions of the Octoraro watershed in Lancaster County.

Specific Spots

  • Shallow, slow-moving waters with mud bottoms and thick vegetation, especially areas with emerging spatterdocks and aquatic plants.
  • Stagnant shallow water less than a foot deep, often with backs exposed above the surface.

Northern Snakehead FAQ

Answers from onWater's species guide.

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

Topwater frogs (both working and retrieving styles), Zoom Flukes rigged Texas-style and weightless, quarter-ounce inline spinners in white, chartreuse, and black, poppers, chatterbaits, spinnerbaits, and buzzbaits. Larger lures tend to catch bigger fish when worked in the lower water column.

What flies work for Northern Snakehead in Pennsylvania?

Topwater mouse and frog patterns, Clouser Minnows, Zonkers, Game Changers (Feather, Jerk, Finesse, and Hybrid variants), foam divers, and other articulated streamers like Zoo Cougar, Dahlberg Diver, and Whitlock Waker.

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

Spring is optimal, particularly during pre-spawn when water temperatures reach 57°F and above, typically lasting until water exceeds 77°F in June. Spawn from late April through August (avoid fishing during spawning to prevent disturbing reproduction).

How do you catch Northern Snakehead in Pennsylvania?

Use strong hooksets due to their bony mouths and sharp teeth. Fish topwater flies with strip-strip-pause retrieves, varying the cadence. Handle carefully with pliers when removing hooks.

What do Northern Snakehead eat?

Dietary generalists consuming fish (particularly sunfishes and topminnows), amphibians, aquatic invertebrates, crustaceans, frogs, small reptiles, and even birds and mammals. They have significant dietary overlap with largemouth bass and are most active during daylight hours, feeding primarily between noon and 7:30 PM.

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