Biologists urge public to combat invasive Alabama bass in NC waterways

Alabama bass, which are invasive to North Carolina, are now in more rivers and lakes than ever and are competing with our native fish and aquatic organisms. Biologists at the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) are asking for public assistance in preventing the spread and reduce the populations of this invasive species, per a release.

They’re being stocked and moved to new locations by anglers who need to understand the impact it’s having to our native black bass family of largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass,” said District Biologist Kin Hodges. “Populations of largemouth bass are being dramatically reduced, while North Carolina could potentially lose smallmouth and spotted bass.

According to a release, Alabama bass have existed in North Carolina waters since the 1980’s, but only sparsely, first in far southwestern Lake Chatuge and then Lake Norman. They are believed to have been stocked by anglers. Their distribution has rapidly grown and spread to other waterbodies and are now being identified in coastal areas, including the Roanoke and Tar rivers.

When we heard Alabama bass were being caught in reservoirs upstream of our coastal rivers in 2020, we anticipated we would start seeing them downstream,” Coastal Region Fisheries Research Coordinator Kevin Dockendorf. “In October 2024, our fisheries biologists collected Alabama bass in the Roanoke and Tar rivers with boat electrofishing. This expansion of Alabama bass is of concern given the similarities of North Carolina’s coastal rivers to the habitats found in Alabama bass’s natural range.

While fishing for Alabama bass is popular with some anglers, NCWRC staff say many anglers are unaware of the threats posed by them and are continuing to move the species into new waters, per a release.

They are being illegally spread across the state by misguided anglers who think that they will make the fishing better,” states Hodges. “The only tools we have to minimize the damage being caused by Alabama bass are to encourage anglers not to spread them to new waters, and to harvest as many as possible in waters where they have already been introduced to minimize their damage.

It is illegal to move or stock fish into public waters without a stocking permit obtained from NCWRC. This includes live well releases into waters different from where the fish were caught, according to a release.

Anyone who observes or has knowledge of illegal Alabama bass stockings is asked to report it by calling 800-662-7137.