Alewife
Alosa pseudoharengus
Also called River herring, Buckie.
How to tell it
River herring with an eye WIDER than its snout is long; gray-green back, single shoulder spot, sawtooth belly keel.
- Not a blueback herring? That one blue-black back, smaller eye — in hand, its gut lining is black. (Blueback Herring)
- Not a atlantic herring? That one no shoulder spot. (Atlantic Herring)
- Not a american shad? That one much larger, spot row. (American Shad)
Rules for
Every state
| State | Size | Bag | Season | Today |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | Take prohibited | 0 | Closed year-roundCT DEEP 2026 · checked | Put it back |
| Delaware | Harvest prohibited | 0 | Closed - no harvest permittedDE DNREC 2026 · checked | Put it back |
| Maine | No size limit | 25 river herring per day (alewife + blueback combined) | Open year-round; non-leased brooks, rivers and streams closed 6 AM Thursday to 6 AM Sunday weeklyME DMR 2026 · checked | Open |
| Maryland | Catch and release only | 0 | Closed - moratoriumMD DNR 2026 · checked | Put it back |
| Massachusetts | — | Possession prohibited | ProhibitedMA DMF 2026 · checked | Put it back |
| New Hampshire | No size limit | See Squamscott River special restrictions | Closed weekly sunrise Wednesday to sunrise ThursdayNH F&G 2026 · checked | Open |
| New Jersey | Prohibited | 0 | No open seasonNJ DEP 2026 · checked | Put it back |
| New York | No possession | 0 | Closed all year (marine district)NY DEC 2026 · checked | Put it back |
| North Carolina | N/A | No harvest or possession | Closed year-roundNC DMF 2026 · checked | Put it back |
| Rhode Island | N/A | No harvest or possession | Closed year-roundRI DEM 2026 · checked | Put it back |
| Virginia | No harvest | 0 | Closed (moratorium)VMRC 2026 · checked | Put it back |
Not specifically regulated in Alabama, Florida (Atlantic), Florida (Gulf), Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas: each state’s rule for unlisted species applies there (on its page).
On the table
Possession is banned along most of the coast — release.
In the app
Point the camera at a alewife and the name appears before you take the picture, with these rules for the water you’re standing in. No signal needed, and every catch goes in the log.
Get the appQuestions anglers ask about alewife
How many alewife can you keep?
Maine: 25 river herring per day (alewife + blueback combined); New Hampshire: See Squamscott River special restrictions.
Where is alewife harvest prohibited?
Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Virginia. Release it there.
How do you tell alewife from blueback herring?
Alewife has this: River herring with an eye WIDER than its snout is long; gray-green back, single shoulder spot, sawtooth belly keel.. Blueback Herring blue-black back, smaller eye — in hand, its gut lining is black.