Pike found in Kenai River watershed

According to the Peninsula Clarion, Alaska Department of Fish and Game Sport Fish biologist Robert Begich and his team have netted two adult northern pike in Hall Lake, a body of water near Soldotna that is open to the Kenai watershed. Begich isn't sure how the fish, which aren't native to the lake, got there, but he suspects illegal stocking. This is significant because Northern Pike infestations can devastate spawning and nursery grounds for native salmon, trout and steelhead. At this time, though, Begich said he doesn't have a clear idea how great the threat is, and that because of the Kenai River's ecology, pike pose more of a threat to important feeder streams like the Moose River. Based on the survey he and his team conducted, the pike population of Hall Lake seems small, and there's no clear evidence yet that the netted pair spawned ... however, it only takes two. Read much more, here. Alaska Beat would like to remind everyone to stop illegally stocking pike (including well-meaning, nostalgic pike fans). We'd also like to urge Southcentral anglers to report unusual sightings of the invasive species and to make at least one bloodthirsty fishing trip per year to unnaturally pike-infested waters. Consider it a public service.