A fake announcement about changes to northern pike regulations claiming to be from the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife circulated among Maine’s fishing community Tuesday, including on a popular ice fishing Facebook page.
The document, dated Dec. 30, 2025, claimed that northern pike would be reclassified from an “unregulated invasive designation” to a “protected and actively managed fishery resource,” complete with new daily bag limits. But that is not true, according to the department. A staff member at MDIFW, speaking on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak to the press, confirmed the document is fake and said the department is aware of it.
The document features a MDIFW letterhead and what seems to be official contact information, but it contains several signs of being fraudulent. The memo was not posted on official MDIFW channels or distributed via verified email. The logo contains errors, the tagline — “Serving Maine’s fish, wildlife, and expectations” — does not match MDIFW branding, and the contact section lacks a phone number, email or physical address.
Other giveaways include strange symbols at the ends of paragraphs and nonsense passages, such as “ame ltrare subject to sta,” with phrasing consistent with AI-generated content.
Northern pike remain a contentious species in Maine waters. Originally illegally introduced into the Belgrade Lakes in the 1970s, they have since spread to multiple water bodies. The species is invasive and capable of negatively impacting native fish populations.
The incident underscores growing concerns about AI-generated misinformation and highlights the importance of verifying unusual or surprising announcements through official sources.
Northern pike remain classified as an invasive species in all Maine waters where they occur, and there are no statewide bag or size limits for the species. Anglers are allowed to harvest pike under general fishing regulations, and no “protected” status or daily limits have been instituted.
Anglers are advised to seek verified information about fishing regulations directly from MDIFW’s official website at maine.gov/ifw, through official phone numbers or via the department’s verified social media channels.
