Plate 79 of 79SaltwaterTidal rivers & creeks

Blueback Herring

Alosa aestivalis

The alewife's near-twin on the spring run — also under the river-herring moratorium, and released immediately.

Typically present

intermediateShore-accessibleTidal freshwaterNearshore oceanBrackish

Practice this species

Try a simulated catch in Seven Casts. Use this guide and its official sources to plan a real trip.

Blueback Herring (Alosa aestivalis) — Fig. 79. Alosa aestivalis
Illustration: Duane Raver / U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service — Public domain

Habitat: Tidal rivers
Methods: Shore, Kayak, Freshwater
Difficulty: intermediate
Eating: Usually released

Identification

Look for

Almost identical to alewife at a glance — the confirmed internal difference is the lining of the abdominal cavity (solid black in blueback herring; light-colored with a few scattered spots in alewife)
Smaller eye than alewife
Blue-green on the back (alewife is grey-green)
Deeply forked tail; silver sides with purple/blue highlights in certain light; eye diameter roughly equal to snout length

Local waters

Tidal-river tributaries during the spring spawning run

Catchable both from shore (bank/shore) and by boat (kayak).

Show on the map

When to fish

Typically present: spring

Spring spawning runs up Hampton Roads-area tidal-river tributaries, alongside alewife and shad, generally spawning somewhat later than alewife though timing overlaps — must be released immediately if caught, not a species to fish for.

Tide stage for this kind of water

Moving water at bends and creek mouths

Current concentrates bait along channel edges and drains; the hour or two either side of a change often produces more than the extremes.

From: Reading tides without overthinking them

Water temperature

The water, not the calendar, sets the season here — a warm October or a cold snap moves these bands.

Water temperature and the seasons

How to catch it

Catchable both from shore (bank/shore) and by boat (kayak). Technique notes for this species have not been written yet; the baits and rigs below are the documented starting points.

Terms usedPresentation

Handling and release

Not a food-use species in this guide (catch-and-release or restricted) — release.

Collectively known with alewife as 'river herring' — both species have been under a Virginia-wide harvest moratorium since January 1, 2012 (4VAC20-1260-30): it is unlawful to catch and retain possession of any river herring from Virginia tidal waters. Any river herring caught incidentally must be released immediately. 'River Herring' is deliberately NOT used as an alias for this single species, since it genuinely names the pair collectively — aliasing it to just blueback herring would misrepresent alewife.

Cleaning, chilling, and cooking a legal catch covers the steps between the cooler and the pan.