THE SMELT FAMILY Osmeridae

RAINBOW SMELT Osmerus mordax (Mitchill, 1814)

DISTRIBUTION AND ABUNDANCE: Native. Rainbow smelt enter almost any unobstructed stream to spawn but their distribution and abundance has been reduced since the turn of the century. D.H. Storer remarked that in the mid-1800s "750,000 dozen smelt" were taken annually with dip nets from the Charles River at Watertown. Smelt have been introduced into a number of inland lakes, ponds and reservoirs as forage for trout and salmon. This practice started when Frances Barnard (Governor of the Bay Colonies 1760-1769) made a successful introduction of smelt into Jamaica Pond, Boston. More recent introductions include Quabbin, Wachusett, and Littleville reservoirs, Mattawa and Wallum lakes, and Big Alum, Cliff, Higgins, and Walden ponds. Spawning takes place in some of these waters. However, many inland populations appear to be declining, apparently due in part to the impacts of acid precipitation. Declines in anadromous smelt are primarily due to damming and siltation. Sport fisheries exist in many areas including the Neponset, Fore, Back, and Weir rivers that are tributary to Boston Harbor. On the North Shore, runs are found in the Danvers, Saugus, Annisquam, Parker, Rowley, Essex, and Mill rivers. Large runs are also still found in the Jones and Weweantic rivers. However, none of these fisheries attract the estimated 2,300 smelt fishermen as reported in Boston Harbor by Bigelow and Schroeder (1953).