Migratory fish

Alewife

Alosa pseudoharengus

Coastal waters, with rivers and freshwater spawning areas; some populations live in lakes

Find locations for this species ↓

Photo: no rights reserved · CC0 · Source and license. Displayed as a resized crop. Photograph illustrates the species.

Habitat: Coastal waters, with rivers and freshwater spawning areas; some populations live in lakes
Published habitat depth: Often captured at 56–100 m at sea; enters shallow freshwater to spawn
Viewing activities: Not classified

What to look for

A silvery fish with a dusky spot behind the head.

Life and behavior

Ocean-going populations migrate into fresh water to spawn; landlocked populations move into shallows and tributaries.

When to look

The available records do not establish a reliable local viewing season. Use the map’s month filter to inspect dated observations; it does not predict an encounter.

RECORDED PRESENCE

Where has Alewife been recorded?

These destination links use the same area and date cutoff as the map: 40 km circles, except for the four named regional rectangles. Checked 2026-09-19. Counts describe source records, not individual animals or sighting odds.

Chesapeake BayVirginia & Maryland, United StatesRegional rectangle · 590 source records since 2016About this destination →

Sources, search boundaries and limitations