AlewifeorAmerican Shad
Two fish anglers mix up. Here is what separates them, and what each one’s rules are in your state.
How to tell them apart
Alewife
River herring with an eye WIDER than its snout is long; gray-green back, single shoulder spot, sawtooth belly keel.
American Shad
Deeper body, jaws even; the classic spring run.
American shad, next to alewife: much larger, spot row.
Side by side
| Alewife | American Shad | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Alosa pseudoharengus | Alosa sapidissima |
| Also called | River herring, Buckie | — |
| Waters | Inshore | Inshore |
| Heaviest state record | — | 8.1 lb · Maryland (1975) |
| On the table | Possession is banned along most of the coast — release. | Bony but storied; roe prized. |
| Rules of its own in | 11 states | 14 states |
Rules for
Every state, both fish
The two fish are regulated differently in 10 of 14 states with a rule for either. In Connecticut, alewife is Take prohibited, 0 and American shad is No size limit, 6 (aggregate with hickory shad). Call the fish wrong and you keep a short one or throw back a legal one.
| State | Alewife: size · bag · season | American Shad: size · bag · season |
|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | Take prohibited0Closed year-roundPut it backCT DEEP 2026 · checked | No size limit6 (aggregate with hickory shad)Closed in marine waters; open only in the Connecticut River systemClosedCT DEEP 2026 · checked |
| Delaware | Harvest prohibited0Closed - no harvest permittedPut it backDE DNREC 2026 · checked | No size limit2 per dayOpen year-round except Nanticoke River and tributaries (closed)OpenDE DNREC 2026 · likely · checked |
| Florida (Atlantic) | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | No harvestCatch-and-release onlyClosed year-roundPut it backFWC 2026 · likely · checked |
| Florida (Gulf) | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | No harvestCatch-and-release onlyClosed year-roundPut it backFWC 2026 · likely · checked |
| Maine | No size limit25 river herring per day (alewife + blueback combined)Open year-round; non-leased brooks, rivers and streams closed 6 AM Thursday to 6 AM Sunday weeklyOpenME DMR 2026 · checked | No size limit2 per dayOpen year-roundOpenME DMR 2026 · checked |
| Maryland | Catch and release only0Closed - moratoriumPut it backMD DNR 2026 · checked | Catch and release only0Closed - moratoriumPut it backMD DNR 2026 · checked |
| Massachusetts | —Possession prohibitedProhibitedPut it backMA DMF 2026 · checked | N/ANo harvest in marine waters (catch and release)Catch and release only in marine watersPut it backMA DMF 2026 · checked |
| New Hampshire | No size limitSee Squamscott River special restrictionsClosed weekly sunrise Wednesday to sunrise ThursdayOpenNH F&G 2026 · checked | Possession prohibitedPossession prohibitedClosed year-roundPut it backNH F&G 2026 · checked |
| New Jersey | Prohibited0No open seasonPut it backNJ DEP 2026 · checked | No size limit0 in all marine waters except Delaware River & tributaries (max 2, within 6-shad aggregate)Open year-roundOpenNJ DEP 2026 · checked |
| New York | No possession0Closed all year (marine district)Put it backNY DEC 2026 · checked | No possession0Closed all yearPut it backNY DEC 2026 · checked |
| North Carolina | N/ANo harvest or possessionClosed year-roundPut it backNC DMF 2026 · checked | No size limit10/day aggregate with hickory shad; no more than 1 American shad in most waters (up to 5 in Cape Fear River system; any mix in Pamlico/Pungo)Internal and joint waters only; harvest from the Atlantic Ocean prohibited; after Apr 14 harvest limited to hook-and-lineOpenNC DMF 2026 · likely · checked |
| Rhode Island | N/ANo harvest or possessionClosed year-roundPut it backRI DEM 2026 · checked | N/ANo harvest or possessionClosed year-roundPut it backRI DEM 2026 · checked |
| South Carolina | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | No size limit10/day (20/day in Santee River & Rediversion Canal)Open year-round; river-specific rules under Shad & Herring regulationsOpenSC DNR 2026 · likely · checked |
| Virginia | No harvest0Closed (moratorium)Put it backVMRC 2026 · checked | No harvest0Closed (moratorium)Put it backVMRC 2026 · checked |
In the app
Point the camera at the fish and Chum names it before you take the picture, alewife or American shad, with the right rules for the water you’re standing in. No signal needed.
Get the appQuestions anglers ask
How do you tell alewife from American shad?
Alewife: River herring with an eye WIDER than its snout is long; gray-green back, single shoulder spot, sawtooth belly keel. American Shad: Deeper body, jaws even; the classic spring run. American shad, next to alewife: much larger, spot row.
Which is better to eat, alewife or American shad?
Alewife: Possession is banned along most of the coast — release. American Shad: Bony but storied; roe prized.
Do alewife and American shad have the same limits?
Not everywhere. They differ in 10 state rulebooks. Connecticut: alewife Take prohibited, 0, American shad No size limit, 6 (aggregate with hickory shad); Delaware: alewife Harvest prohibited, 0, American shad No size limit, 2 per day; Maine: alewife No size limit, 25 river herring per day (alewife + blueback combined), American shad No size limit, 2 per day; Massachusetts: alewife —, Possession prohibited, American shad N/A, No harvest in marine waters (catch and release); New Hampshire: alewife No size limit, See Squamscott River special restrictions, American shad Possession prohibited, Possession prohibited; and more in the table on this page.