The unusual-looking burbot is a popular sport fish due to its delicate white meat. Since it is commonly found in more northern regions, the burbot is a popular ice fishing species. The burbot is North America’s only freshwater cod fish species and lives throughout Alaska, and Canada’s freshwater lakes and rivers and are common in Lake Erie and the other Great Lakes. It is also widely distributed throughout Europe and Asia, north to the Bering Strait.
The burbot’s mottled skin, yellowish hue, and single soft barb on their lower jaw give it a distinct look. The elongated dorsal and anal fins extend all the way to their rounded caudal fin, giving this freshwater fish an eel-like appearance. The burbot looks to be scaleless but actually has nearly microscopic scales. These relatively long-lived, slow-growing fish are unique in that they do not reach reproductive maturity until 6-7 years of age and spawn during the winter months of December to March, often under the ice. If you want to go diving with burbot, explore the map below for dive sites where their sightings are common.
