Fish

Rainbow smelt

Eperlano arcoíris

Osmerus mordax

SaltwaterBrackishFreshwater

At a glance

Typical size

6–9 in.

Depth

5–60 ft.

Best time

Night and around tide changes.

Found in

9 areas

Spot it, size it up and learn its habits.

Identification: Small, slim, silvery fish with a shimmering purple-pink-blue stripe along the side, a big mouth with fanglike teeth for its size, an adipose fin and a fresh-cut cucumber smell.
Typical size: 6–9 in.
Maximum size: About 13 in.
Diet: Plankton, shrimp and small fish.
Behavior: Schools in cold water; coastal smelt run up streams to spawn in early spring, and landlocked smelt spawn in tributaries of lakes.

Where, when and how deep to look.

Where to find it: Found from New Hampshire & Maine, Rhode Island & Massachusetts, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick & PEI, Newfoundland & Gaspé, Quebec, U.S. Great Lakes, Ontario Great Lakes, Upper Midwest Lakes and Northeast Lakes & Rivers. Cold coastal waters, bays and tidal rivers from Labrador to New England, and lakes including the Great Lakes, where it was introduced.
Habitat: Cold coastal waters, bays and tidal rivers from Labrador to New England, and lakes including the Great Lakes, where it was introduced.
Depth: 5–60 ft.
Fishing depth: Near the bottom in 10–30 ft through the ice.
Best season: Winter through the ice in Maine smelt camps and the Great Lakes; spring dip-netting runs.
Best time: Night and around tide changes.
Best tides: In tidal rivers, the incoming tide at night is best.
Best weather / conditions: Cold, calm nights.

What to tie on and what to throw.

The rod, reel, line and lures BigJoe would use.

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Step by step, from first cast to landing.

Go where it lives: Cold coastal waters, bays and tidal rivers from Labrador to New England, and lakes including the Great Lakes, where it was introduced.
Rig up: Light ice rod or hand line. 2 lb.
Pick your bait: Bloodworms, pieces of smelt and small minnows. Lures: Tiny jigs and small flies.
Fish it: In heated smelt shacks, fish several tiny baited hooks near the bottom on the incoming tide.
Time it: Night and around tide changes. In tidal rivers, the incoming tide at night is best.

Fishing techniques: In heated smelt shacks, fish several tiny baited hooks near the bottom on the incoming tide.
BigJoe's tip: Rent a heated smelt camp on a Maine river for a classic winter family trip.
Catch and release: Catch and release: wet your hands, keep the fish in the water when you can, and release it quickly. Use circle hooks and a dehooker.

Is it good to eat, and how to prepare it.

Edibility: Excellent eating — one of the best-tasting fish in its range.
Cleaning: Bleed and ice it right away. Fillet, then remove the skin and any dark bloodline.
Cooking suggestions: Delicious dusted in flour and fried whole — eat them bones and all.

Safety, rules and taking care of the fishery.

Safety warnings: Ice safety — check thickness and conditions on tidal rivers, where ice can be unpredictable.
Regulations: Limits and dip-net rules vary by state and province; some coastal runs have closed seasons. Licenses, limits and seasons are set by each province, territory or state, and many lakes and rivers have special size limits, slot limits or closed spawning seasons — check the current regulations for the water you fish.
Conservation: Coastal runs have dropped in many New England rivers.

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Sources & photo credits