RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) — A fast-spreading invasive fish is raising alarms across North Carolina—and wildlife officials say it’s already threatening some of the state’s most popular game fish. The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission is warning anglers to be on the lookout for Alabama bass, an aggressive species now turning up in waters far beyond where it was first spotted.
Kin Hodges, Fisheries Biologist with the Commission, says the issue isn’t just about where these fish are—but what they’re doing to native species.
“Alabama bass are a close relative of two of our most popular sport fish in the state: the largemouth bass and the smallmouth bass,” said Hodges. “And they have a unique ability to degrade the populations of both of those species to a tremendous level.”
The largemouth bass can be found statewide, while smallmouth bass are typically concentrated in North Carolina’s foothills and mountain regions. Both have long been staples of the state’s sport fishing culture—but that balance is being disrupted.
Originally detected in a lake along the North Carolina-Georgia border in the 1980s, Alabama bass seemed to remain confined to one area for years. But that changed in the early 2000s, when anglers began illegally moving them to new lakes—most notably, Lake Norman.
“They got put in Lake Norman and they took off,” said Hodges. “That seemed to really set off a chain reaction of people continuing to take them from Lake Norman and moving them to more and more lakes.”
The expansion has been swift and widespread. Alabama bass have now been reported from the mountains to the central Piedmont and even down toward the coast.
“Those are through a combination of intentional introductions where fishermen are continuing to move them and release them on purpose,” said Hodges. “But also just the fact that a lot of our lakes and dams are on river systems—so once you put them into a certain lake, they’re not going to stay there.”
Because the fish can move downstream through dams and into river systems, containing their spread has become increasingly difficult. Wildlife officials say it’s also becoming more challenging to assess just how much harm the Alabama bass are doing.
Adding to the concern is the potential economic impact—especially on North Carolina’s summer bass fishing tournaments. According to Hodges, Alabama bass tend to be smaller, which could alter the competitive landscape.
“A largemouth bass—on a good lake—a tournament fisherman might average catching three-to-four pounders,” he explained. “On your average lake with Alabama bass, that number might be one-to-two pounds.”
That kind of change matters in tournaments, where the biggest catch is everything.
As the Alabama bass continues to push into new waters, state wildlife officials are urging anglers to avoid moving fish between lakes and report any unusual catches. The commission hopes increased awareness will slow the spread of a species that’s quickly shifting the balance in North Carolina’s waterways.