BANGOR — The Maine Department of Marine Resources confirms that a northern pike has been caught in the Penobscot River, confirming the existence of a species that was illegally introduced nearly a decade ago into Pushaw Lake.
Fisheries biologist Richard Dill says the discovery isn’t unexpected. Biologists had long expected northern pike to migrate from the lake and into the river.
Richard Jagels caught the fish on Thursday and kept it to show biologists. Biologists pegged it at nearly 30 inches and 7 pounds. It’s estimated to be 5 to 6 years old.
Pike grow larger than other native Maine fish such as salmon and brook trout, and often feed on those species. Pike now live in at least 16 Maine lakes due to illegal introduction and migration.
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