ATTENTION Anglers of Deep Creek Lake - Tagging Study

Type: Nontidal
Region: Western
Location: Deep Creek Lake

With warmer weather and spring just around the corner, anglers are reminded to keep an eye out for tagged pike as they venture out to Deep Creek Lake! Tagged pike will have a yellow tag along their dorsal fin with a phone number and 4-digit tag number. The tag may be covered with brown/green vegetation/algae. If you catch a tagged fish, simply scratch away the vegetation from the tag with your fingernail, report the tag number, the fish's length, where/when it was caught, and whether it was kept or released by calling the phone number on the tag (301-689-7168). Anglers are also reminded that if they release the fish, NOT to remove the tag so that we may continue to learn from those fish!

The fish in these pictures is a female that was originally caught and tagged in October of 2015. Wshe was then recaptured in February of 2017. She had been at large for nearly 500 days and grew about 1/2" to a length of 39" at the time of recapture. Notice the clean yellow tag along the dorsal fin in the first picture and the algae-covered tag in the second picture.

Good luck to anyone trying their hand at catching one of big pike in Deep Creek and a big thank you to those who help us manage that resource by reporting tagged fish!