Blue Mouthed Pickerel

Type: Nontidal
Region: Central
Location: Loch Raven

On 6/13/14, Will Stackus and I set out to Loch Raven Reservoir for some post spawn bass fishing. It was a good day on the water as we caught some quality largemouth using our favorite technique, crankbaiting. In the middle of our trip I had a nice hit on my 10 ft. diver in the back of Pearces Cove. It was one of many pickerel we had caught in this reservoir, except this one had a completely blue mouth and blueish tint to its bottom fins. It was a really odd sight to see, as I have caught hundreds and hundreds of this fish from this same reservoir, but this one was unique looking. We snapped a few photos and are curious to know what may have cause this blue coloring? Tight lines all!

DNR Response: We have not observed chain pickerel with blue mouth coloration in our surveys on Loch Raven. It has been observed by other fishermen on Loch Raven and in adjacent states, but is a rare occurrence. Possible explanations may be genetic, something in the diet or environment may cause the coloration, or a lack or excess of pigment.