Documented northern snakehead water in District of Columbia County, District of Columbia. Middle Potomac-Anacostia-Occoquan drainage. 434 USGS specimen records (2007–2013); status: established. Location verified from the USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species database.
This stretch of the Potomac in DC runs non-tidal, so you can leave the tide charts at home and just focus on light and structure. Snakehead here sit tight to whatever cover breaks the current and hides them from baitfish above—matted grass, scattered pads, flooded brush, and sunken wood along the banks. They're ambush predators, so work the edges of that cover slowly rather than blind-casting open water. Early morning and last light are prime windows, when fish push shallow to feed. Through the heat of the day, shift to shaded pockets under overhanging trees or deeper wood, and don't ignore a stiff wind pushing into a grassy bank—it stacks bait and turns fish on.
Access here leans bank and kayak. There's no boat ramp mapped within about 3 miles, so this reads as a carry-in or shore spot rather than a trailer-launch stretch. Parking is available nearby, closest about 0.21 mi from the water, making it an easy walk-in with rods and a soft-plastic bag rather than a full tackle hike.
For gear, rig weedless topwater frogs and buzzbaits to skip over the thick stuff, and follow up with a chatterbait or weedless soft plastic worked through the same lanes. Spool up with 40-65 lb braid—you'll need the backbone to horse fish out of cover once they eat.
+ 9 more parking areas are on the map above. For every lot, tap 🅿️ All parking in Maps up top.
Maryland and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have started a tagging program that pays anglers $10 to $200 for catching and reporting tagged norther…
Maryland fisheries officials and anglers are using bowfishing and other tactics to manage the invasive northern snakehead population in the Potomac Ri…
Officials caught 81 northern snakeheads at Conowingo Dam fish lifts in 2019, a dramatic increase from one specimen found in the previous two years, si…
Emanuel Tankersley caught a 19-pound, 5-ounce northern snakehead in Potomac Creek, Virginia in May 2018, a catch certified as the all-tackle world rec…
A fourth northern snakehead was caught in a Crofton pond, prompting Maryland DNR and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials to intensify removal eff…
A northern snakehead exceeding 18 pounds was caught in a Potomac River tributary near Washington, D.C., potentially breaking the 2004 world record of …
Northern snakeheads were discovered in private ponds in Wicomico and Queen Anne's counties, Maryland. DNR biologists found additional fish, including …
A fourth Northern snakehead was caught in a Crofton pond near the Potomac, prompting Maryland's Department of Natural Resources to conduct an eradicat…
Scientists believe northern snakehead fish have established a breeding population in the Potomac River after nine catches in a seven-week span. The in…
A Maryland angler using a bow and arrow caught a 17.49-pound northern snakehead at Mattawoman Creek on the Potomac River, setting a new state record. …
Maryland's Potomac Snakehead Tournament brings together sport fishermen and bow fishers to control an invasive Asian fish species while promoting loca…
Bowfisher Emory Baldwin III caught an 18.42-pound northern snakehead in the Potomac River near Marshall Hall, Maryland, setting a new state record. Th…
Coordinates are approximate, for finding the general area. Snakehead is an invasive species — regulations on catching, keeping, transporting and killing it vary by state and change often. Never move a live snakehead between waters. Always confirm current rules with your state wildlife agency before you fish.
