They deposit their eggs on rock, gravel, or sand ocean bottom. In response to the declining trend for river herring, the states of Alabama, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Virginia, Delaware and North Carolina have instituted moratoriums on taking and possession. 2002. Blueback herring spawn from late March through mid-May, … The two species are commonly referenced together as they have similar life histories and look very similar 1. Habitat suitability index models. SIZE: The common length for blueback herring is 27.5 cm (11 inches) with the maximum reported length being 40 cm (15.7 inches). Blueback herring can be found along the East Coast of the United States Aquatic Nuisance Species Digest 2(3):26–27. They are believed to migrate offshore to over winter near the bottom. River herring runs used to turn some rivers “silver” each spring when they migrated by the millions upstream. Blueback herring larvae are found in fresh and brackish rivers. … Alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) and blueback herring (A.aestivalis), known collectively as river herring, have been fished for more than 350 years, making the fishery one of the oldest in the country. Journal of Great Lakes Research, 24(3):723-730. HABITAT. 2009. Once adults and age-0 juveniles depart from coastal spawning rivers, they migrate along the North American Atlantic coast and are difficult to access for scientific analysis. Studying aquatic organisms is challenging. According to Collette and Klein-MacPhee (2002), they are usually found in deeper water during the day. Foltz, and J.M. Blueback herring (Alosa aestivalis) in Lake Ontario: First record, entry route, and colonization potential. North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. Blueback herring are are a migratory species. Blueback Herring. Retrospective examination of habitat use by blueback herring (Alosa aestivalis) using otolith microchemical methods. Bluebacks spawn in fresh water several miles upstream of the tidal line in the Delaware River. Journal of Freshwater Ecology, 17(2): 209-221. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Management Data Series 78, Austin, TX. Alewife may live up to 10 years and reach lengths of between 14 and 15 inches (36–38 cm) (Munroe, 2002), while Blueback Herring are believed to live up to eight years and reach a maximum size of … In areas where alewife and blueback herring co-exist, blueback herring will exhibit more variety in spawning site selection including shallow areas covered with … Like most shad and herring, Range/Habitat. harengus and Blueback Herring A. aestivalis, reported in commercial fisheries as “gaspereau” in Canada and “river herring” in the USA. Like alewife, they are also anadromous, and in the late spring, adults return to shore, arriving in coastal waters approximately a month later than A. pseudoharengus (Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences 2003). In North Carolina, blueback shad were introduced into the Savannah, Broad, and Yadkin River basins, and into non-native areas of the Cape Fear and Roanoke River basins. Blueback herring are native to the Atlantic Coast. While in streams, the Blueback lives in the current over a rocky bottom, although its time there, during spawning, is brief. Juvenile blueback herring leave fresh and brackish nursery grounds when they are about 5 cm (2 inches) long before they begin to migrate out to sea. Good, S. - Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife, Pittsford, VT. Blueback herring, also known as “river herring” and “summer herring,” as well as the scientific name Alosa aestivalis, is a common schooling fish native to … Hauser, M. 1998. These threats include: loss of habitat due to decreased access to spawning areas from the construction of dams and other impediments to migration; habitat degradation; fishing; and increased predation due to recovering striped bass populations. Juvenile river herring typically migrate back to the marine environment in the fall. Blueback Herring - Alosa aestivalis ... Habitat, biology, and fisheries: Coastal, pelagic, euryhaline. Bluebacks spawn in fresh water several miles upstream of the tidal line in the Delaware River. We used generalized additive models (GAMs) to describe habitat associations of Alewife, Blueback Herring, Atlantic Herring, and Atlantic Mackerel. This fish is anadromous, living in marine systems and spawning in deep, swift freshwater rivers with hard substrates. The freshwater fishes of North Carolina. Alewives and blueback herring are anadromous clupeids found along the Atlantic coast in marine, estuarine, and riverine habitats, depending upon life stage. The two species are commonly referenced together as they have similar life histories and look very similar 1.. Juvenile blueback herring leave fresh and brackish nursery grounds when they are about 5 cm (2 inches) long before they begin to migrate out to sea. What habitat does the blueblack herring prefer? Anonym / Friday, January 15, 2016 ... blueback herring, shad, Atlantic salmon, rainbow smelt, and other migratory fish. Blueback Herring Alosa aestivalis were first discovered in Lewis Smith Lake, ... habitat use, growth and development, increased variation in year-class strength, and eventual alterations in abundance of resident fishes. Blueback Herring General Habitat Description and Introduction Blueback herring (Alosa aestivalis) are an anadromous, highly migratory, euryhaline, pelagic, schooling species. Unlike counting sheep in a pasture, counting fish in the water is much more difficult. We manage eight monitoring stations where river herring are counted with either electronic or video counters and biological samples are … American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, MD. Restoring Fish Habitats and Strengthening Resilience to Storms Sea Grant's community partnerships in the Penobscot River Watershed. They have been collected in Lake Jocassee, Lake Keowee, Picalet River, Broad River, and Lake Murray in South Carolina. Herring travel up to 1200 miles to reach their spawning grounds. Alewives range allopatrically north to Labrador and Newfoundland, while blueback herring are found south to Flotida. Alewife and Blueback Herring spawn and develop in freshwater and estuarine habitats throughout eastern North America (Florida, United States to Newfoundland, Canada) but the majority of their life cycle is spent in the ocean (Fay et al., 1983). Additional information is contained in the ASMFC’s Diadromous Fish Habitat document. This item LIVE TARGET Blueback Herring Soft Plastic Swimbait. The two species of herring are more commonly called “River Herring” by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). Herring Distribution, Population, and Habitat. Blueback Herring are concentrated from the Chesapeake Bay south. Part A. Blueback Herring Spawning Habitat Geographical and temporal patterns of migration Adult blueback herring populations in the South return earliest to spawn in freshwater and sometimes brackish waters, with populations further north migrating inland later … Water withdrawals due to public water use and agricultural practices can have a negative impact on river herring, preventing upstream migration or stranding juveniles trying to get out of a system. Riverine habitats, particularly the Scuppernong and Perquimans rivers, provided poorer nursery habitat for blueback herring. marine habitat association for Alewife, Blueback Herring, Atlantic Herring,andAtlanticMackerel.Theyearswerechosenbecausecon- sistent environmental datacollection with a CTD began in 1991 in Guest, W. C. 1983. River herring (Blueback Herring and Alewife) are anadromous, meaning they live most of their lives in the ocean and return to freshwater rivers and lakes to spawn (lay eggs). Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Atlantic Coast Diadromous Fish Habitat: A Review of Utilization, Threats, Recommendations for Conservation, and Blueback Herring. Jenkins and Burkhead (1994); Owens et al. Endangered Species Act (ESA). Owens, R. - U.S. Geological Survey, Oswego, NY. They are native to the Atlantic coast of North America and co-occur in rivers throughout much of their range 1. Blueback herring form schools and are believed to migrate offshore to overwinter near the bottom. According to the National Marine Fisheries Service, it was exclusively an inshore operation until the late 1960s when foreign fleets began fishing for river herring off the mid … In Connecticut, blueback shad spawn in 14 to 17 °C (57 to 63 °F) water, usually later in the spring than the alewife. The most distinguishing characteristic of this species is the black to dusky in color of its peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity). They spawn as early as August in Nova Scotia and eastern Maine and from October through November in the southern Gulf of Maine, Georges Bank, and Nantucket Shoals. These rivers are highly variable in terms of habitat, covering a variety of sizes, hydrography, spawning envi- Males generally mature earlier at between 3 and 4 years of age and at a smaller size than the females. Like most shad and herring, Range/Habitat. Blueback herring spawn from late March through mid-May, depending on latitude. Page, L. M., and B. M. Burr. blueback herring ranged from 45,200 to 349,700 eggs per female (Loesch and Lund 1977). Palkovacs EP, 2014. Fish enter the coastal rivers to spawn. Habitat. There isn’t much of it on Chatuge. The spawning site can be from the tidal zone to more than 100 miles upstream. Species of Concern are those species about which the U.S. Government's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, has some concerns regarding status and threats, but for which insufficient information is available to indicate a need to list the species under the U.S. Alosa aestivalis. Rohde, F.C., R.G. Interannual and long-term variation in the nearshore fish community of the mesohaline Hudson River Estuary. Molly L. Payne Wynne,* a Karen A. Wilson, b Karin E. Limburg c. a Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern Maine, Portland, ME 04103, USA. For both species, adults migrate quickly downstream after spawning and little is known about their life history while in the marine environment; however, they are believed to be capable of migrating long distances (over 1,900 kilometres (1,200 mi)). Studying aquatic organisms is challenging. Ecological Applications, 12(2): 521-534. Figure 2: Image of Alewife and Blueback Herring (illustrations by Diane Rome Peebles) Figure 3: Performance of alewife and blueback herring to successfully traverse four sustained velocity regimes. Owens, R. W., R. O'gorman, E. L. Mills, L. G. Rudstam, J. J. Hasse, B. H. Kulik, and D. R. MacNeill. S5 Fig: Maps of river herring eDNA detections across two years (spring 2015 and 2016) in Chesapeake Bay, USA.Size of data points (positive detections) are proportional to the magnitude of eDNA abundance (mean mtDNA copies) and are colored based on species identification from Sanger sequencing: red for alewife and blue for blueback herring. 1998. General Information. Fish and Wildlife Service also provide funding to the Atlantic Salmon Federation and St Croix International Waterway Commission to continue river herring counts at the Milltown Dam fishway in the St. Croix watershed located in Maine. 60th Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference, Aquatic Nuisance Symposium, Cincinnati, OH. Mackerel depth associations were between the two, overlapping. Quattro. GARP models predict it could find the entire region as suitable habitat, except possibly the deeper waters of Lake Superior (USEPA 2008). Atlantic herrings can be found on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, congregating in large schools. Further, the introduction of prey species may lead to bluebacks spend their life at sea and travel up freshwater . 1991. In the ocean, they undertake seasonal migrations, most likely in response to changing water temperatures (Collette and Klein-MacPhee 2002). There are several threats that have most likely contributed to their decline. They spend most of their life cycle in the marine environment, returning every four to five years to their natal rivers to spawn. What habitat does the blueblack herring prefer? Alewives have larger eyes, greater body depth, and pearly to white peritoneal linings. Blueback herring adults are a pelagic, schooling species. Howells, R. G. 1992a. River herring are silver in color and grow to be approximately 10 inches long. Chickahominy Lake has a plentiful supply of fish habitat in the form of cypress trees, water lilies, and submerged aquatic vegetation. Females release as many as 250,000 eggs in shoreline areas where they are fertilized by the male. There are 5 per tray. This term is often used generically … … Blueback populations have exhibited drastic declines throughout much of their range. Fecundity-to-age relationships for Georgia blueback herring were not linear (Street 1969), and the relationship may be asymptotic for both spe-cies, with"fecundal senility" 1969; Loesch and Lund 1977). Results from a total of 12,422 tagged adults that were released in Minas Basin and Cobequid Bay during 1985 supported these findings. Menhinick, E. F. 1991. eDNA … Life History: The life history of the blueback herring is similar to that of the closely related alewife. LIFE HISTORY. Stock obtained from the Cooper River, South Carolina, was released in Texas by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in Lake Theo, Briscoe County, and at an unidentified research site in North Texas in 1982 (and in the upper Red River drainage). Physical Description. Sea lamprey habitat above these projects exceeds 90% of presumed historic habitats. These documents can be found on Atlantic species live on both sides of the Atlantic ocean, while Pacific species live in the North Pacific ocean and Arauceanian species live off the coast of Chile.Many species are marine, while others are anadromous, such as the blueback and alewife subspecies of river herrings. Background River herring is a term used to refer collectively to alewife and blueback herring. 1997). Why is it a problem? During spawning season, it migrates into coastal rivers. University of South Carolina Press, Columbia, SC, 430 pp. General Information. My first introduction to a … Fisheries scientists have traditionally used nets, traps, electrofishing or visual observations to sample fish in the field, but these surveys can be time consuming and expensive. 7 December 1998. Poor water quality affects river herring of all ages, from developing eggs to adults. Pollution is also an ongoing problem. Blueback herring Alosa aestivalis (Mitchill, 1814) Cool Facts A The oldest age reported for blueback herring is 8 years. Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) is a herring in the family Clupeidae.It is one of the most abundant fish species in the world. Blueback herring Alosa aestivalis (Mitchill, 1814) Cool Facts A The oldest age reported for blueback herring is 8 years. A The oldest age reported for blueback herring is 8 years. Habitat 3. Anadromous alewives (Alsoa pseudoharengus) and blueback herring (A. aestivalis) are sympatric from New Brunswick and Nova Scotia to upper South Carolina. Arndt, J.W. However, juvenile alewife and blueback herring seemed to move out of the Chowan and Perquimans rivers into western Albemarle Sound habitats suggesting they … Both blueback herring and alewife are often referred to as “river herring,” which is a collective term for these two often inter-schooling species (Murdy et al. Blueback herring are managed under Amendment 1 (1999), Technical Addendum I (2000) and Addendum I (2002) to the Fishery Management Plan for Shad and River Herring. Habitat. Their eggs are essentially pelagic in still water. A field guide to freshwater fishes of North America north of Mexico. The heaviest reported weight for blueback herring is 200 g (0.44 Annotated list of introduced non-native fishes, mollusks, crustaceans and aquatic plants in Texas waters. This item LIVE TARGET Blueback Herring Soft Plastic Swimbait. The blueback shad is a planktivorous forage species. Spawning occurs in fast moving, shallow water in the main stem of river tributaries. They are abundant now only in rivers where they can reach good spawning habitat. The blueback herring or blueback shad (Alosa aestivalis) is an anadromous species of herring from the east coast of North America, with a range from Nova Scotia to Florida. Juvenile blueback herring normally remain in the same watershed throughout the summer and fall and then migrate to the sea. Both are important commercial species, used fresh or salted for human consumption, and used as crab bait, fish meal (particularly in animal food manufacturing), and fish oil. Fisheries scientists have traditionally used nets, traps, electrofishing or visual observations to sample fish in the field, but these surveys can be time consuming and expensive. The Peterson Field Guide Series, volume 42. NMFS through ASMFC and the U.S. 1994. (Haro et al. Blueback Herring in Cobequid Bay weirs during July were probably from local stocks. gizzard shad, golden shiner, and blueback herring. 1998. Landlocked blueback herring in two South Carolina reservoirs: reproduction and suitability as stocked prey. The native range of alewife extends from Labrador in northern Canada to South … 2004) Figure 4: Diagram of American Eel Life Stages (source: Gulf of Maine, 2007). Habitat surveys for blueback herring and alewives have been performed in both Connecticut and Massachusetts. with Blueback Herring that occurred in deeper water and approach- Blueback herring and alewife are more commonly referred to as river herring along the Atlantic coast of the U.S. Blueback herring are born in fresh water and then migrate to the ocean for their adult lives and then return to fresh water to reproduce. occurring in long-lived individuals (Street SPECIFIC HABITAT REQUIREMENTS River herring … Hydrilla and other submerged aquatic vegetation have been able to grow rather dense in the numerous, shallow areas of the lake. Comparisons between morphological and genetic identification … Female herring can produce 30,000 to 200,000 eggs. rivers every spring to spawn. Alewives (Alosa pseudoharengus) and blueback herring (Alosa aestivalis), collectively known as river herring, are small, silvery fish native to the east coast of North America.They are anadromous, meaning they spend most of their lives in the ocean and migrate into freshwater to spawn. There isn’t much of it on Chatuge. Blueback herring form schools and are believed to migrate offshore to overwinter near the bottom. 2). Currently, a River Herring Conservation Plan is being developed and implemented for the management of alewife and blueback herring. Mechanisms for migration of anadromous herring: An ecological basis for effective conservation. The blueback is anadromous and develops in freshwater, then migrates to marine, and then migrates back to freshwater to spawn. Before the winner patterned the bass, he will likely have patterned the bait. This fish has, in the past, been used as a baitfish for the lobster fishing industry. Blueback herring larvae are found in fresh and brackish rivers. The abundance of vegetation 1981). Learn how and when to remove this template message, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/FactSheet.aspx?speciesID=488, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Blueback_herring&oldid=969264460, Articles lacking in-text citations from March 2014, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Habitat overlap was considered as trawl stations where both species were captured (Alewife with Atlantic Herring, Blueback Herring with Atlantic Herring, Alewife with Atlantic Mackerel, and Blueback Herring with Atlantic Mackerel). spawning habitat. It migrates to spawning grounds in the spring. As anadromous fish, Blueback … Their eggs are essentially pelagic in still water. Atlantic herrings can be found on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, congregating in large schools.They can grow up to 45 centimetres (18 in) in length and weigh up to 1.1 kilograms (2.4 lb). The half-pound herring swim up from the ocean to spawn in May and June. Females usually mature by age five and produce between 60,000 and 103,000 eggs. During spawning, many eggs are deposited over the stream bottom, where they stick to gravel, stones, logs, or other objects. 19 pp. It is established as a species in Texas, New York, North Carolina, Vermont, and Virginia. MacNeill, D. - New York Sea Grant, State University of New York at Brockport, Brockport, NY. (1998); Page and Burr (1991); Smith (1985); Whitehead (1985). Figure 5: Eel ramp image from Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment (2007). Further, the introduction of prey species may lead to increased compe tition among species, which can lead to altered habitat overlap and variable or reduced … The most effective method varies considerably among species. Jenkins, R. E., and N. M. Burkhead. The heaviest reported weight for blueback herring is 200 g (0.44 lbs.). A comparison of diets of blueback herring (Alosa aestivalis) and threadfin shad (Dorosoma petenense) in a large southeastern reservoir. The biggest change I’ve seen over the past five years or so has been the effect of the blueback herring in the lake. Possibly overwintering near bottom and out from coast, approaching shore in late spring.Spawns in brackish or fresh waters of rivers, having arrived in … Blueback herring: These herrings average 10 inches in length. Blueback herring spawn in brackish water or freshwater rivers over areas with gravel, sand, detritus or underwater grasses. Champlain Canal fish barrierTh study. Before the winner patterned the bass, he will likely have patterned the bait. Fecundity-to-age relationships for Georgia blueback herring were not linear (Street 1969), and the relationship may be asymptotic for both spe-cies, with"fecundal senility" 1969; Loesch and Lund 1977). Combining genetic and demographic information to prioritize conservation efforts for anadromous alewife and blueback herring. Blueback herring (Alosa aestivalis) are a favorite food of bass and other game species where they live in the same waters.Also known as river herring, they are an anadromous fish that migrate from saltwater into freshwater and have become established in many freshwater lakes. Blueback Spawning Habitat The Blueback Trout spawn in the fall from September to October on gravel or rock shoals in lakes and in slow pools in rivers. Blueback herring can be found along the East Coast of the United States and Canada from Nova Scotia all the way to … 2004. Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. River herring populations have experienced a sharp decline due to a … Habitat: Alewife herring spawn in a diversity of habitats including large rivers, small streams, ponds, and large lakes over a wide range of substrates such as gravel, sand, detritus, and submerged vegetation. Alewife has larger eyes, greater body depth, and pearly to white peritoneal linings. Alosa aestivalis. Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) is a herring in the family Clupeidae. Delaware River (for alewives and blueback herring), the Potomac River(foralewivesandbluebackherring),theNanticokeRiver(for alewives and blueback herring), and the Chowan River (for blue-back herring) (Fig. HABITAT: Blueback herring spawn in brackish water or fresh water rivers. They have ALSO a shoulder spot, but they have a black/blue shine to their back. The most effective method varies considerably among species. Aquatic nuisance species of the Mississippi River basin. The preferred habitat of blueback herring depends on its age and surrounding species. The item Habitat suitability index models, Alewife and blueback herring, by Garland B. Pardue ; performed for National Coastal Ecosystems Team, Division of Biological Services, Research and Development, Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Department of the Interior represents a specific, individual, material embodiment of a distinct intellectual or artistic creation found in Indiana State Library If Blueback Herring became established in Lake Ontario, they could spread to other Great Lakes and impede recovery of depressed populations of indigenous fishes such as Cisco and Lake Trout (Owens et al. Blueback herring move into coastal rivers during March and April when the water temperatures reach the mid-50s. Both blueback and alewife are anadromous, living in salt and brackish marine areas as adults and returning to freshwater to spawn. Fish enter the coastal rivers to spawn. Winkelman, D. L. and M. J. Blueback Herring and Alewife are difficult to distinguish from one another and are often regarded collectively as river herring. Adult Blueback Herring are marine, inhabiting a narrow band of water off the coast. It is one of the most abundant fish species in the world. Herring travel up to 1200 miles to reach their spawning grounds. The blueback herring is slender like the alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) and several papers that exist only for identification purposes between these two species (MacLellan et.al. The old adage “find the bait, find the bass” rings more true here than most tournament fisheries. Model-predicted overlap probability was quantified as the product of two individual species occurrence probabilities; while more complex methods … Alewife and blueback herring / by Garland B. Pardue ; performed for National Coastal Ecosystems Team, Division of Biological Services, Research and Development, Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Each spring, a population of herring … They reach a maximum size of approximately 40 centimetres (16 in) and are believed to live up to 8 years. occurring in long-lived individuals (Street SPECIFIC HABITAT REQUIREMENTS River herring occupy distinctly different habitats depending upon life Unlike counting sheep in a pasture, counting fish in the water is much more difficult. Blueback herring prefer spawning over rocks in fast-moving water during daylight. The blueback herring has a … DIET: Blueback herring feed on small fishes, copepods, and small shrimps. Anadromous, adults migrate inshore and ascend rivers to spawn in fresh water or in slightly brackish pools with an outlet to the sea. River herring (alewife and blueback herring) are migratory fish that range along the East Coast from Florida to Maine. Bluebacks are most abundant from warmer waters of the Chesapeake Bay southward, occurring in most tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay, in the Delaware River, and in adjacent offshore waters. 1998). These threats include: loss of habitat due to decreased access to spawning areas from the construction of dams and other impediments to migration; habitat degradation; fishing; and increased predation due to recovering striped bass populations. Rasmussen, J.L. Blueback populations have exhibited drastic declines throughout much of their range. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, MA. Brooke says alewives, and their close cousins blueback herring, are keystone species in their native habitat… They were stocked as food for game fish in southern reservoirs, and were discovered in Lake Ontario in 1995 after entering via the New York State Canal System. 227 pp. bluebacks spend their life at sea and travel up freshwater . They are often confused with alewifes because blueback shad and alewives are difficult to distinguish from one another, and together these two species are often regarded collectively as "river herring". River herring is a term used to refer collectively to alewife and blueback herring. Prince ED; Barwick DH, 1981. Alewives and blueback herring are anadromous clupeids found along the Atlantic coast in marine, estuarine, and riverine habitats, depending upon life stage. Fluctuations in river flow affected habitat use; moderate to high discharge rates increased use of spawning and nursery habitats, and low flows reduced use of spawning habitat. It is also used for human consumption, usually smoked. Herring are pelagic, schooling and feeding in midwater or at the surface, preying on zooplankton, as well as shrimp, other small crustaceans, small fish, and fish eggs. RANGE: The range of Blueback herring extends from the lower parts of Cape Breton rivers in Nova Scotia, Canada and south to the St. John’s River in Florida. HABITAT: Blueback herring spawn in brackish water or fresh water rivers. habitats than Blueback Herring, and Atlantic Herring and Atlantic. Blueback herring nursery habitat was best in the non-riverine northwest and southwest Sound. The blueback herring is a U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service Species of Concern. (2006). rivers every spring to spawn. … Blueback herring daily percent mortality in 1996 and 1997 was 99%, while alewife rates decreased from 98% in 1996 to 91% in 1997. The water temperature use be cold and it must also be clear. Habitat:Blueback herring inhabit coastal waters for most of their lives, but they migrate into freshwater rivers and streams to spawn. Bluebacks have been collected from Lake Champlain, Vermont, and have been stocked in several inland reservoirs in Virginia, including Smith Mountain Lake, Occoquan Reservoir, Kerr Reservoir, and Lakes Anna, Brittle, and Chesdin. Hurst, T. P., K. A. McKown, and D. O. Conover. Blueback shad were first collected in Lake Ontario in 1995, and have been collected from the Tennessee River in Georgia and Tennessee; Oneida Lake, the Oswego River, and Lake Champlain in New York. There are several threats that have most likely contributed to their decline. This page was last edited on 24 July 2020, at 10:58. The heaviest reported weight for blueback herring is 200 g (0.44 Harvesting river herring (alewives and blueback herring) in Orland, Maine.