Missouri Confirms Northern Snakehead in Eleven Point River System

Missouri has confirmed northern snakehead in the Missouri portion of the Eleven Point River system for the first time. Conservation staff removed a fish from a tributary in Oregon County, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation’s September 28 announcement. The discovery gives anglers another reason to know the difference between this invasive predator and the native bowfin.

The agency says the find suggests snakeheads are spreading upstream from known populations in Arkansas. At the time of the announcement, confirmed Missouri occurrences were limited to the St. Francis and Eleven Point river systems. That is not evidence that every Missouri river now holds snakeheads, nor does this single removal establish how many fish are present in the Eleven Point system.

The concern is competition with native fish and predation on species such as smallmouth bass. MDC invasive species ecologist Angela Sokolowski described those effects as anticipated risks. The announcement does not report a measured decline in the river’s smallmouth population caused by snakeheads.

Identification comes first. A northern snakehead has a snake-like appearance and a much longer anal fin than a bowfin. Use the agency’s comparison image rather than treating every unfamiliar fish as invasive. Photograph the fish and record where it was caught so staff can confirm the identification and track its spread.

For a confirmed snakehead, MDC’s instruction is not to release it alive or simply toss it on the bank. It can breathe air and survive out of water for days if its skin stays moist. The agency directs anglers to kill captured snakeheads, including by severing the head or removing the internal organs, and report catches or sightings to its Southeast Regional Office at 573-290-5730 or through its online snakehead reporting form. Do not move a live fish to another waterbody.

This is a practical fisheries-protection job for people already on the water: make the identification, prevent a live release, and provide a useful location report. The comparison image is courtesy of the Missouri Department of Conservation.