Eelpout_Festival
The International Eelpout Festival is an annual gathering held in the town of Walker, Minnesota. It celebrates the eelpout (or burbot, scientific name Lota lota), an indigenous bottom dwelling fish that inhabits the region's lakes, in some cases being found as deep as 300m. The fish itself is described as a cross between a catfish and eel, giving it a slender disposition but retaining a tapered midsection with a full complement of pectoral and caudal fins. While Lota lota is known locally as eelpout, eelpout also may refer to a family of marine fishes. Leech Lake is known for its exceptional walleye fishing, making this festival a banner for the often forgotten eelpout.[1][2]