Smelts are a family of small fish, the Osmeridae, found in the North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans, as well as rivers, streams and lakes in Europe, North America and Northeast Asia.

Native to the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, smelt entered the Great Lakes accidentally in 1912 when they escaped from an inland lake in Michigan where they had been stocked as forage fish. Smelt quickly spread throughout Lake Michigan and …

Smelt, any of certain silvery, chiefly marine food fishes, family Osmeridae, closely related to salmon and trout and found in cold northern waters. Smelts, like trout, have a small, adipose (fleshy) fin. They are slender carnivores and spawn short distances upstream, in the surf or …

Aug 27, 2024 · Smelt fish are small, silvery fish that have captured the interest of anglers, chefs, and ecologists alike. Known for their distinctive aroma and delicate taste, these fish are a staple in many cuisines and play a vital role in aquatic ecosystems.

Jul 27, 2021 · Smelt fish is an inexpensive and nutritious addition to your diet. They benefit in protecting the hair, revitalizing the skin, and boosting energy and metabolism rate.

Learn more about smelt fishing opportunities. Their diet includes aquatic invertebrates and other fish, including small rainbow smelt, sculpins, burbot and whitefish. In the Great Lakes, shrimp-like crustaceans are also a principal food items for rainbow smelt.

WASHINGTON STATE SURF SMELT FACT SHEET NAME: Surf smelt, Hypomesus pretiosus (Girard 1855). GEOGRAPHIC RANGE: Long Beach, California to Chignik Lagoon, Alaska. The Asian subspecies, Hypomesus pretiosus japonicas, occurs in the northwest Pacific Ocean. RELATED SPECIES:

People refer to a wide variety of different fish as “Smelt.” Researchers place most species in the taxonomic family Osmeridae. Within the family, they place 14 different species in 6 taxonomic genuses. People in different cultures and regions use these fish frequently as food or bait. Read on to learn about the Smelt.

Jan 9, 2025 · Smelt fish are a versatile and delicious variety of small fish. Smelt exist in salt water, brackish water, and fresh water throughout North America, Europe, and Northeast Asia. Given its abundance and small size, this fish and every part of it has been used in different cuisines within its vast range for centuries.

Jan 23, 2014 · It is mainly an inshore, anadromous fish that spends most of its life in saltwater but migrates to freshwater lakes and streams in the spring to spawn. However, smelt is a highly adaptable species, and landlocked populations have established themselves from Maine to the Great Lakes and southeastern Canada.