Water Source Facts: Burbot

The eel-like burbot is a newcomer to Utah. The only freshwater member of the cod family, burbot were illegally introduced to the Green River watershed in the 1990s and are thriving in the deep, cold waters of Flaming Gorge Reservoir.

A native of cold, high-latitude freshwater lakes in North America, Europe and Asia, the long, slender burbot presents a striking appearance with its distinctive, lace-like markings. While the fish’s body appears smooth and slimy, it actually has tiny, almost microscopic scales.

 A signature feature of the burbot is its single ‘barbel,’ or chin whisker. The barbel houses tastebuds that help the fish search for food in murky waters. The burbot’sbarbel and mottled, camouflaged skin, which ranges in color from olive green to pale gray, make the fish ideally suited to life as a bottom-feeding predator.

With public partners, the Flaming Gorge Chamber of Commerce sponsors an annual Burbot Bash to encourage anglers to catch the fish, which wildlife managers fear will out-compete native fish such as trout and kokanee salmon. Anglers consider burbot a tasty treat, with its cod-like white, flaky flesh. They’ve dubbed it “The Poor Man’s Lobster.”

Water Source Facts are part of UPR’s partnership with Utah State University’s 2015 Year of Water and the Quinney College of Natural Resources.