AlewifeorAtlantic Herring
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.
Alewife, next to Atlantic herring: deeper body, bigger eye, shoulder spot.
Atlantic Herring
Classic slim silver herring — no spots, no threads; deep-blue back over bright chrome.
Atlantic herring, next to alewife: no shoulder spot.
Side by side
| Alewife | Atlantic Herring | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Alosa pseudoharengus | Clupea harengus |
| Also called | River herring, Buckie | Sea herring |
| Waters | Inshore | Inshore |
| Heaviest state record | — | 0.1 lb · Maine (2004) |
| On the table | Possession is banned along most of the coast — release. | Bait here, dinner in Scandinavia. |
| Rules of its own in | 11 states | 2 states |
Rules for
Every state, both fish
The two fish are regulated differently in 11 of 11 states with a rule for either. In Massachusetts, alewife is —, Possession prohibited and Atlantic herring is No size limit, No bag limit. Call the fish wrong and you keep a short one or throw back a legal one.
| State | Alewife: size · bag · season | Atlantic Herring: size · bag · season |
|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | Take prohibited0Closed year-roundPut it backCT DEEP 2026 · checked | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. |
| Delaware | Harvest prohibited0Closed - no harvest permittedPut it backDE DNREC 2026 · checked | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. |
| 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 | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. |
| Maryland | Catch and release only0Closed - moratoriumPut it backMD DNR 2026 · checked | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. |
| Massachusetts | —Possession prohibitedProhibitedPut it backMA DMF 2026 · checked | No size limitNo bag limitOpen year-roundOpenMA DMF 2026 · likely · checked |
| New Hampshire | No size limitSee Squamscott River special restrictionsClosed weekly sunrise Wednesday to sunrise ThursdayOpenNH F&G 2026 · checked | No size limitNo bag limitOpen year-roundOpenNH F&G 2026 · checked |
| New Jersey | Prohibited0No open seasonPut it backNJ DEP 2026 · checked | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. |
| New York | No possession0Closed all year (marine district)Put it backNY DEC 2026 · checked | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. |
| North Carolina | N/ANo harvest or possessionClosed year-roundPut it backNC DMF 2026 · checked | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. |
| Rhode Island | N/ANo harvest or possessionClosed year-roundPut it backRI DEM 2026 · checked | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. |
| Virginia | No harvest0Closed (moratorium)Put it backVMRC 2026 · checked | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. |
In the app
Point the camera at the fish and Chum names it before you take the picture, alewife or Atlantic herring, 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 Atlantic herring?
Alewife: River herring with an eye WIDER than its snout is long; gray-green back, single shoulder spot, sawtooth belly keel. Atlantic Herring: Classic slim silver herring — no spots, no threads; deep-blue back over bright chrome. Atlantic herring, next to alewife: no shoulder spot. Alewife, next to Atlantic herring: deeper body, bigger eye, shoulder spot.
Which is better to eat, alewife or Atlantic herring?
Alewife: Possession is banned along most of the coast — release. Atlantic Herring: Bait here, dinner in Scandinavia.
Do alewife and Atlantic herring have the same limits?
Not everywhere. They differ in 11 state rulebooks. Massachusetts: alewife —, Possession prohibited, Atlantic herring No size limit, No bag limit; New Hampshire: alewife No size limit, See Squamscott River special restrictions, Atlantic herring No size limit, No bag limit; Connecticut: alewife Take prohibited, 0, Atlantic herring no rule of its own; Delaware: alewife Harvest prohibited, 0, Atlantic herring no rule of its own; Maine: alewife No size limit, 25 river herring per day (alewife + blueback combined), Atlantic herring no rule of its own; and more in the table on this page.