Species profile
Hickory Shad
Alosa mediocris
At a glance
Hickory Shad (Alosa mediocris) is an IUCN Least Concern bony-fish species regulated in 12 of 66 jurisdictions tracked by CatchRules across the U.S. and Canada.
The strictest bag limit is 5 (New York); the most generous is 20 (South Carolina).
Confirmed by 267 research-grade iNaturalist observations, with Maryland, Virginia, and New Jersey the top jurisdictions by observation count.
Notable details
- Hickory shad are anadromous, leaving the ocean each spring to spawn in freshwater rivers.
- They can reach 24 inches and about 2.5 pounds — the second largest shad in eastern North America.
- Unlike American shad, they feed aggressively during their spawning run, hitting lures readily.
- A row of dark spots trails behind the gill cover along their sides.
- Their flesh is edible but extremely bony, so most anglers practice catch-and-release.
Where Hickory Shad are seen
Jurisdictions with rules for Hickory Shad
Background
Hickory shad (Alosa mediocris) is a member of the herring family Clupeidae, ranging along the East Coast of the United States from Florida to the Gulf of Maine. It is an anadromous fish species, meaning that it spawns in freshwater portions of rivers but spends most of its life at sea. It is subject to fishing, both historic and current, but it is often confused with or simply grouped together…
Background excerpt adapted from Wikipedia's Hickory Shad article (CC BY-SA). Visit Wikipedia for the full entry.
Other bony fish on CatchRules
Photo credit: iNaturalist / Wikipedia. Identification reference only — verify regulations with the issuing wildlife agency before retaining a catch.