Species profile
Rainbow Smelt
Osmerus mordax
At a glance
Rainbow Smelt (Osmerus mordax) is an IUCN Least Concern bony-fish species regulated in 23 of 66 jurisdictions tracked by CatchRules across the U.S. and Canada.
The strictest bag limit is 1 (Maine); the most generous is 500 (Quebec).
Confirmed by 646 research-grade iNaturalist observations, with Ontario, New Brunswick, and Michigan the top jurisdictions by observation count.
Listed under SARA — verify protected-species rules with the issuing agency before retaining or handling.
Notable details
- Freshly caught fish emit a strong, pleasant cucumber-like odor unlike any other North American fish.
- Anadromous adults migrate into coastal streams each spring to spawn in enormous, dense schools.
- Spring runs are so thick that smelt can be scooped directly from streams by hand or dip net.
- Typically lives just 4–6 years but grows quickly to about 20 cm in length.
Where Rainbow Smelt are seen
Jurisdictions with rules for Rainbow Smelt
Protected status
- SARA Schedule 1 (endangered): Rainbow Smelt. Canadian populations — harm/harvest prohibited under SARA s.32-33.
- SARA Schedule 1 (endangered): Rainbow Smelt. Canadian populations — harm/harvest prohibited under SARA s.32-33.
Always verify protected-species rules with the issuing agency before retaining or handling.
Background
The rainbow smelt is a North American species of fish of the family Osmeridae. Walleye, trout, and other larger fish prey on these smelt. The rainbow smelt prefer juvenile ciscoes, zooplankton such as calanoid copepods, and other small organisms, but are aggressive and will eat almost any fish they find. They are anadromous spring spawners and prefer clean streams with light flow and light…
Background excerpt adapted from Wikipedia's Rainbow Smelt 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.