Watch Your Toes? Vicious New Fish Caught In Lake Washington

MERCER ISLAND, WA - A fisherman working for the state Department of Fish and Wildlife caught a northern pike in Lake Washington last week - the first time the large, sharp-toothed carnivore has ever been seen in the lake.

The northern pike is not native to the Pacific Northwest, and, until now, was only known to have invaded the Columbia and Pend Oreille rivers. State fish biologist Aaron Bosworth told Patch.com that the northern pike would be the largest predator in Lake Washington if it ever became established, but it's unlikely the species will thrive because of the size and deepness of the lake.

"It's not a favorable spot [for northern pike]," Bosworth said. "They like to have marshy shorelines. There are not a lot of areas like that."

The northern pike was caught in the Mercer Slough area underneath I-90 by a member of the Muckleshoot tribe who was working on a fish sampling project. The pike caught last week was a breeding adult, but there's no evidence that there are many more of them around.

Bosworth said that the northern pike was likely dumped into Lake Washington by a fisherman, which is illegal. Because of their size and status as a top predator, northern pike could gobble up native fish, salmon in particular. Other large predators in the lake - the invasive walleye, or cutthroat trout - could prey on juvenile northern pike, but would be no match for a full-grown adult.

Northern pike are known for their vicious style of attack - there are YouTube compilations dedicated to them - and have been observed going after all manner of prey, including birds and small pets. But are they dangerous to humans? There are tales of pike attacking swimmers, but those might just be legend.

Mercer Island police published a post on Facebook last week jokingly warning local swimmers to "watch your toes when sitting on your boats!"

Image via Mercer Island police