Alewife regulations in Delaware

Shads and Herrings · Saltwater · 2026 season

Is it a keeper? Alewife is closed to harvest. Release it.

Alewife size limit, season and daily limit

Where	Season	Size limit	Daily limit
State waters	Closed to harvest	—	—

Notes

CLOSED - no harvest permitted. Release immediately.

Exact DNREC wording

Season: CLOSED - no harvest permitted
Size: CLOSED - no harvest permitted
Limit: CLOSED - no harvest permitted

Source: DNREC Division of Fish & Wildlife, captured 2026-09-20 (2026 season).

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More shads and herrings

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About the alewife

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 DNREC Division of Fish & Wildlife, not Wikipedia.

All 196 Delaware species A–Z →

Frequently asked

What is the size limit for Alewife in Delaware?

No size limit in Delaware state waters.

How many Alewife can you keep per day in Delaware?

No daily limit.

When is Alewife season in Delaware?

Open year-round.

Is my Alewife a keeper today?

Alewife is closed to harvest. Release it.