River Herring regulations in Connecticut

· Saltwater · 2026 season

Is it a keeper? River Herring is closed to harvest. Release it.

River Herring size limit, season and daily limit

Where	Season	Size limit	Daily limit
statewide	Closed to harvest	—	—

Exact CT DEEP wording

Season: Prohibited
Size: Prohibited
Limit: Prohibited
statewide — as printed: “River Herring: Alewife / Blueback Herring — The taking of anadromous alewife and blueback herring is prohibited from all Connecticut waters, including Long Island Sound.”

Source: CT DEEP, captured 2026-10-04 (2026 season).

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About the river herring

Species of North American shad

The alewife or river herring is a species of herring found in North America. It is commonly anadromous but there are also significant landlocked populations. It is one of the smaller species of shad, of the subgenus Pomolobus. As an adult it is a marine species found in the northern West Atlantic Ocean, moving into estuaries before swimming upstream to breed in freshwater habitats, but some populations live entirely in fresh water.

Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Regulations on this page come from CT DEEP, not Wikipedia.

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Frequently asked

What is the size limit for River Herring in Connecticut?

Prohibited in Connecticut state waters.

How many River Herring can you keep per day in Connecticut?

Prohibited.

When is River Herring season in Connecticut?

Open year-round.

Is my River Herring a keeper today?

River Herring is closed to harvest. Release it.