Snook (Róbalo) in Gatun Lake

Snook are one of the most interesting species in Gatun Lake because all snook can live in both freshwater and saltwater, allowing them to move freely between the lake and the oceans connected by the Panama Canal. Gatun Lake sees seasonal movements of multiple snook species from both the Atlantic and Pacific sides — something that happens almost nowhere else in the world.

There are 12 species of snook, but only four grow larger than 10 lb. These “large snooks” belong to both oceans:

• Atlantic: C. undecimalis (common snook), C. poeyi (Mexican snook)
• Pacific: C. viridis (white snook), C. nigrescens (black snook)

These four species are long, streamlined, powerful, and extremely similar to each other, often difficult to identify without expert inspection. Even the Atlantic and Pacific species can look nearly identical, and in Gatun Lake they mix in a way that confuses even trained biologists.

What anglers care about is simple:

Snook here fight hard, hit aggressively, and reach excellent size — with both Atlantic and Pacific giants showing up in the same waters.