Smelt including Rainbow Smelt, Freshwater Smelt, are found mostly in northeastern United States and Canada.
Why is Understanding Smelt Important?
It is important to understand Shad to:
Find Bass: Spawn shallow in the spring and go deep in the summer sometimes too deep for the bass as they require colder water.
Select a Lure: Selecting the best lure based on mimicking the look of the smelt.
Understand Smelt as Bass Forage
Spawn: During spawning season, it migrates into coastal rivers, and spawns immediately after the bass spawn, and before the shad spawn. Herring spawn over hard bottom often on secondary points and they spawn all day.
Additional Considerations
Size: In many lakes smelt grow to a maximum size of 3-5 inches, depending on food, competition, and growing conditions. In some lakes average 6-8 inches in length and can be as large as 14 inches.
Color: Silver with a green back, and iridescent purple, pink, and blue reflections on the side. Silvery fish has a complete lateral line, relatively large scales, a large mouth, a forked tail, and an adipose fin.
Spawn: When water temperatures is in spring, when large numbers run up tributary streams
Family: Smelt are in the same family of fish as a walleye and trout not a sunfish, minnow or shad.
California: A smelt species from eastern Asia was introduced to California called Wakasagi smelts.
Smelt
Smelt Locations courtesy of United States Geological Survey
